Scottie Scheffler returns to dominant form, wins PGA Tour playoff opener by eight strokes

Scottie Scheffler rediscovered his dominant form on Sunday, turning a two-stroke lead into an overwhelming victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Scheffler shot a 4-under 66 for an eight-stroke win, the largest margin in the tournament's 68-year history at TPC Southwind.

This victory ended a nearly seven-month drought for Scheffler, who has had a season marked by remarkable consistency but few trophies. His only other win this season was at the season opener, The American Express, in California.

The tournament was only close for a brief moment. After months of minor setbacks, Scheffler hit a bunker shot on the par-5 3rd hole that bounced off a sprinkler head, rolled across the green, and into the water for a bogey. "Man, when is this going to stop happening?" Scheffler recounted.

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Man, when is this going to stop happening?

That mistake narrowed his lead to one shot over Sungjae Im. Scheffler then sank consecutive birdie putts on holes 5 and 6, setting him on his way. Playing in the final group under sweltering heat and the week's strongest winds, Scheffler matched the day's best score.

He finished at 17-under-par (263), eight strokes ahead of Dallas neighbor Si Woo Kim, who shot a 68. The previous record was John Cook's seven-stroke victory in 1996. Scheffler now has 21 career PGA Tour wins, 10 of them by four or more strokes. Sam Burns, one of Scheffler's close friends, played with him in the final group and made a double bogey on the 3rd hole. He shot a 73 and tied for third with Alex Noren (69). "I don't think it would have mattered if I played well," Burns admitted. "It was going to be tough to beat him today."

Scheffler earned $3.6 million from the prize money and secured an additional $23 million in bonuses as the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup heading into next week's BMW Championship. No one can catch him, and for now, no one is particularly close in the game, even when he isn't accumulating trophies.

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I don't think it would have mattered if I played well. It was going to be tough to beat him today.