[Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images]
Ageless Adam Scott is eyeing a 12th straight Presidents Cup appearance after sealing his place in the Signature Events for the 2027 PGA TOUR season.
Opening week one of the FedExCup Playoffs with a superb 4-under 66 at the FedEx St Jude Championship, Scott went 1-under over the following three rounds to finish in a tie for 12th at 5-under, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler cruising to an eight-stroke win at 17-under par.
With his top-15 finish, Scott ensured safe passage to week two of the FedExCup Playoffs and, and at No.29, is in position to advance all the way to the Tour Championship.
As one of the top 50 players to make it to the BMW Championship, the 46-year-old can now set a schedule for next season that will include each of the elevated Signature events.
“It sets me up for what can be a year on my terms, which will be nice,” said Scott, Min Woo Lee and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox also safely through to the BMW Championship despite finishing down the leaderboard at TPC Southwind.
With good friend Geoff Ogilvy at the helm as captain of the International Team, it also puts Scott within reach of an automatic selection for the Presidents Cup to be played at Medina Country Club in Chicago next month.
Inside the top six of International-eligible players for much of the year, Scott entered the FedEx St Jude Championship in seventh position and played the first two days with Open champion Ryan Fox.
Fox, currently second in the standings, is guaranteed a Presidents Cup debut and Scott is hopeful he will be alongside him.
“He’s pumped. He’s going to be on the team, so he’s very excited,” Scott said of the Kiwi major champion.
“We talked a fair bit about the Cup out there, and only enthusiasm from both of us.
“Just looking at it, what the International boys have done the last month or so – Tom Kim winning, ‘Foxy’ winning, Min Woo and Si Woo continue to play great – I like the look of our team right now.
“Hopefully I can play good and lock up my spot, too.”
Elsewhere this week, Austin Bautista earned a sixth career win with a second Sunshine Tour victory and Whitney Hillier launched a career resurrection on the Ladies European Tour.
Bautista came from two strokes back to claim the FNB Eswatini Challenge in South Africa, coming out a week out from the defence of his Sunbet Challenge title that he won 12 months ago.
“I said going into the week that this golf course suits me really well – little fades off the tee, hitting wedges close and making putts, it suits me perfectly,” said Bautista, a three-time winner also on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
“I am really happy to have won and am looking forward to coming back next year.”
In her 185th start on the Ladies European Tour, Hillier had a share of the lead late at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open but had to ultimately settle for the second runner-up finish of her career.
It is a remarkable result for the 35-year-old whose previous best finish this year was a tie for 37th and who has battled health problems for the past three years.
“It feels so good. I mean, the feeling’s addictive,” Hillier said of being in contention again.
“You just want to compete, play, get close to winning. And I was bogey free today, so I technically couldn’t do much else.”
Grateful for her own clean bill of health, Hillier spoke of the tragic passing of 18-year-old WPGA Tour of Australasia winner Jessica Bang last week and how that impacted her mindset.
“With the situation with Jessica and even my friend’s grandma – she died earlier this week as well and there’s other deaths in the family – so I was playing for other people,” she added.
“Again, it puts things into perspective of how lucky we are to be able to play golf in Zurich.”