FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP

August 16, 2026

Scottie Scheffler

TPC Southwind

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined with World No. 1 and FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler. Scottie, congratulations on winning the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship, your 21st win on the PGA TOUR and second this season, won in a dominating fashion by eight strokes. How was it coming down the stretch to get that 21st win?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it was good. I felt like I had some close calls this year, so it was nice to finish the tournament off. Yeah, it was good. I played solid golf all day, really all week.

THE MODERATOR: Earlier this week you were discussing how you made your professional debut here in 2018. What's it like to come full circle and capture a win here?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it's really nice. This tournament, I felt like I've learned a lot at this tournament over the years. It was my second start on the PGA TOUR, I think back in 2014, and then my first start as a pro in 2018.

I've played this tournament a number of times now, and definitely proud to be walking away with the trophy this week.

THE MODERATOR: Sticking with reflecting, second win this season but first one since having your second born. What's it mean just how much changes throughout the season?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it's been a busy year, adding Remy to the mix. I think he spent more time away from the house traveling than he has been at home for his lifetime. He's a little trooper, and so is my wife and other son.

It's been a busy year, and it's nice to be able to celebrate a win this week.

Q. You touched on it a little bit, but with all the success you've had, when you go to a course that you haven't won at before and notch that and check it off the list, does that give you any extra satisfaction?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: This is a golf course that I feel it's challenged me over the years. I had a few good starts the last couple years, but outside of that I hadn't played my best golf around this course. It was nice to come out this week and play some solid golf and really execute when I needed to.

This is a course where that's really comes down to. There's a lot of holes where there's not even a correct miss. It's just a matter of stepping up there and hitting really good shots.

Yeah, today was a challenging day. The scores late in the day, the golf course seemed to play really difficult. I did a good job of hitting a lot of greens and saving some pars when I needed them.

Q. You've had a lot of -- it just seems like something little each week that gets in the way. I'm just curious what was going through your mind when you're heading to the 4th tee? Because that was kind of weird.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I told Teddy when we were going down there to drop my ball, and I was like when is this going to stop happening? He's like, I don't know, man (laughter).

Yeah, got that ball up-and-down and was able to save bogey and then bounce back pretty quick with a good shot at 4 and then a really nice birdie at 5. Just tried to do my best to bounce back really was all that it was.

Yeah, I wasn't very happy when that ball bounced off that sprinkler head on the 3rd. It cost me a couple shots.

Q. Was there a point at all where you really started feeling comfortable, really in a really nice rhythm, swinging, putting, everything?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: On Friday, being able to have a really low round was important. To put myself in the lead after 36 holes was good. I felt like I've been playing from behind a lot this year. So it was nice to come out and have a lead after 36 holes and then after 54 holes.

Yeah, I felt like I've been in a good rhythm. I didn't hit maybe as many fairways this week, but I was really sharp with the irons, and I rolled it really good on the greens. That's a good compensation if you're going to try to have success out here.

Q. And the other thing, people talk about statistics all the time, I don't quite understand all of them, but it has been a really good year with all your top finishes. Is the runner-ups and close calls, did it get irritating after a while? Were you fed up with it?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think when you're close -- it's not easy to win out here. I felt like this year, the year that I've had kind of shows that, how difficult it is. We have a lot of talented guys, and I played some really solid golf over the course of this year, but I hadn't played much kind of great golf.

Like I said, I had my close calls and lost a couple playoffs. So it was nice coming into a day in which I had the lead and able to hold that lead and really kind of build on it as the round went on.

I felt like a week like this was coming. I felt like I was on repeat all year just being like, hey, I'm playing solid. I'm close. It feels good to be answering some different questions at the end of this week.

Q. On a day when most of the field couldn't really string together birdies or get anything going, how were you able to continue separating from the field?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, just some good execution. I hit two really good shots into 5, holed a nice putt at 6. Then I really felt like I stole one there at the 11th. I'm sure that was a pretty tough hole today playing into the wind and island green.

Really I just felt like I gave myself a lot of looks and was able to hole a couple of those 15 to 20-footers to really make a few birdies today.

Q. I've talked to you all week about your upward trajectory at TPC Southwind. What overall do you think is the biggest difference this year that allowed you to get the win?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: A lot of ball striking. I gave myself a lot of looks. I wasn't putting for par that often. I did my best to stay out of the hazards. Maybe only lost a couple balls in the hazards this week, which around this place isn't so bad.

I'd say iron play and putting was probably huge for me this week.

Q. Statistically this was your best strokes gained putting week of your career. I guess, first, does that surprise you at all given the ball striking you were mentioning? But then also, what was the key to your work on the greens this week?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I felt like I holed a lot of those kind of 15- to 20-footers. I felt like the first day was a day where I was just around the hole all day pretty much. The last few days, I putted the ball pretty nicely.

I'm not sure how many strokes I gained on the greens, but like I said, I had a really good week on the greens and my approach play as well. I was able to give myself a lot of looks and putt aggressively from there. I didn't really feel like I was putting for par a ton over the course of the week, and that definitely helps you feel freer on the greens for sure.

Q. Was there any point on the back where you really felt like you could breathe with a lead like that, or does the water on 18 make you keep your guard up the whole time?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: There's a lot of trouble on the golf course. You look at 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, there's hazards and trouble on almost every hole. It's a challenging golf course, and when you're hitting fairways, you feel like you can make birdies, but when you start hitting offline, it can be really challenging.

I didn't really feel like I could breathe too much until I got on the green on 18.

Q. You talked about your sharpness with your irons. Did you do anything between Minnesota and coming here?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I went home, got a few days of rest, got some practice in. I felt like I found something kind of just getting my hands on the club.

I had a really good kind of prep week coming in, probably the best I played at home over the course of this year. I didn't really feel like I needed to be on the range hitting balls. I just went out and played pretty much all weekend. I didn't really spend much time practicing. I was just getting out playing, competing.

I played well, and I felt like a good week was coming. It was nice to come in here feeling like I'm playing well and to show up and kind of do it.

Q. How many of those games with Si Woo?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: A few.

Q. How did it go?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Better for me than for Si Woo (laughter).

Q. It's hot at this tournament every year, but it feels like this week maybe turned up a notch. Obviously you made it look easy, but were the conditions some of the more challenging that you faced that you can remember in terms of mentally pushing through it and not submitting to that?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it was really hot. It was. I was dipping my hands in the coolers, rubbing ice over my body, and just trying to stay cool out there.

Fortunately at home I was getting a little bit adjusted to it. At home I'm riding around in a cart. It's a lot different than walking around in the heat all day. Did a good job of staying in it and staying hydrated.

That's part of the work that it takes is putting in the effort before and after to make sure I stay hydrated the entire week. It's a lot of liquid because we're out there sweating a bunch throughout the day.