Scottie is Back… but was He Ever Gone? No.

Scottie Scheffler won the FedEx St. Jude Championship – the first leg of the PGA TOUR’s playoffs – by eight strokes at -17 – nearly two times as low as second place (-9), for his second victory of the season, and first since January. The world’s top-ranked golfer has had a string of close calls, prompting many to wonder if he would get back to the winner’s circle this year. But now, we don’t have to wonder.

Scottie opened the week shooting two-under-par, nothing crazy, but a solid start. From Friday on, he was the Scottie we’ve all been accustomed to seeing; he shot -15 over the final three days, including a nine-under 61 in the second round. But unlike other golfers, his rounds were not that remarkable. It was just classic Scottie: fairway, iron to a safe spot on the green, and a made putt here and there.

While the win was great for his season – he most likely earned himself a fourth-straight Player of the Year award and gives him some more status with a second trophy – the win marked a much bigger PGA TOUR milestone. The $3.6 million he earned for his victory moved him to second all-time in PGA TOUR earnings, passing Rory McIlroy, and putting him just under a million bucks behind Tiger Woods – which I would imagine he will surpass in the next two weeks.

Scottie’s victory was also his first as a father of two. Golf fans remember the scenes of baby Bennett Scheffler in mom’s arms coming down to greet the champion at the Memorial in 2024, one month and one day after entering the world. However, it took little Remy four-and-a-half months to see his dad win for the first time. Bennett has a leg up on his little brother because he saw four victories in less than his first four months, including an Olympic Gold Medal.

Some say that Scottie is back with this victory, but he was never gone? Of course not.

P.S. A little message for Scottie and his caddie, Ted Scott: the mustache stays for another week.