NORMAL service was resumed on the PGA Tour on Sunday night as Scottie Scheffler swept to victory in the St Jude Championship in Memphis.
The world number one strolled home by eight shots to record his first victory since January and end a lengthy drought by his standards.
The win pushed him even further ahead in the FedEx Cup with just two events to go, although that will mean very little next week at the Tour Championship as all of the 30 players still standing will start on level-par after the controversial ‘starting shots’ system was ditched last term.
For now, the rankings are very much still relevant, with the top 50 moving on to Bellerive Country Club in St Louis for the BMW Championship, the second of three play-off events.
Twenty players were culled after things finished up in Memphis on Sunday, with the likes of Jordan Spieth and Shane Lowry left on the outside looking in.
Scottie Scheffler waves to the crowd after winning the St Jude Classic during the final round of the FedEx St Jude Championship Picture: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images/Reuters (Steve Roberts/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Another 20 will fall by the wayside come this weekend, although there is probably less jeopardy for those who do see their PGA Tour year come to an end on Sunday as the top 50 are guaranteed starts in the Signature Events for 2027.
Rory McIlroy need not worry about such things as the world number two and Masters champion, while he is also sure to be at East Lake for the Tour Championship as he sits 13th in the FedEx Cup list, thanks largely to his Augusta victory in April.
Outside of that sixth Major success, it has been a humdrum season for the Holywood man, and while his expectations were low in Memphis after a month off, limping home in 66th of the 68 finishers was not on the agenda.
He was 25 shots behind Scheffler after four rounds, and the gap to the game’s best player must feel like a chasm as present, although it doesn’t take long for McIlroy to turn things round if he sees signs of encouragement.
Indeed, all of the other 49 in the field at Bellerive will probably feel like they could be playing for second this week, now that Scheffler is back in the winner’s circle, and he does have a habit of rattling off titles in quick succession.
The FedEx play-offs also have a history of throwing up repeat winners, with nine of the last 15 seasons seeing a player claim two of the events.
Scheffler has yet to achieve that feat but he is no bigger than 3/1 to do so in St Louis come Sunday night and it would take a brave man to bet against him.
Rory McIlroy finished 25 shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler in Memphis, in 66th place from 68 players who played all four days Picture: AP (George Walker IV/AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Bellerive is returning to the tour schedule for the first time since hosting the 2018 PGA Championship, when Brooks Koepka held off a resurgent Tiger Woods thanks to a brilliant display of driving.
Power certainly seemed an advantage eight years ago and this is lengthy par-70 that can stretch to almost 7,500 yards.
That said, there are plenty of hazards in play with deep bunkers, thick rough and water lurking, so strength and control off the tee and hitting the large greens in the right areas are a must.
Scheffler clearly ticks those boxes and could easily go in again, which makes the ‘without’ the world number one market of real interest.
Normally I wouldn’t be scared of one man, but there is very little difference in the prices with or without him, and with five places on offer it makes sense to leave the hot favourite out of the equation.
Everyone else in the field can be backed at 16/1 or bigger in the outright betting, while Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg and McIlroy are all 14s without Scheffler.
And my idea of the man to follow is Aberg, who is coming into form very nicely and should love what he sees at Bellerive.
The Swede is packed with effortless power and his best efforts tend to come on tough tests.
He hasn’t won since taking the Genesis Invitational on the fearsome Torrey Pines at the start of 2025, but Aberg’s best efforts this term have all come at big venues, with top-fives as Bay Hill, Sawgrass and in the PGA at Aronimink.
He was also ninth in The Open at Royal Birkdale and shook off a month’s break with a seventh in Memphis on Sunday.
A 74 on Saturday took him out of the running, but Aberg closed with a 67 and carries momentum forward, while he led the field off the tee.
He could well be the man to give Scheffler most to think about so in addition to that 14/1 without the favourite, it might be worth having a small wager on the dual forecast at 28s with Ladbrokes.
At a bigger price, I’ll take a chance on the enduring power and class of Adam Scott, who is 50/1 without Scheffler.
Adam Scott is still a factor at 46 and looks a big price to get into the mix at the BMW Championship (Malcolm Mackenzie/PA)
The 46-year-old Australian still gives it a rip off the tee and was third in the 2018 PGA here, so has an edge in course knowledge.
Scott is also in decent form, adding a 12th at the St Jude Championship to ninth in The Open, and with four rounds under his belt after a month off he could push towards the top of the leaderboard in St Louis.
Finally, Alex Noren is another 40-something who has found form, as he tends to do at this time of year.
The Swede won twice on the DP World Tour in August and September last year, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and while he has never claimed a PGA Tour success, there are signs he could still do so.
Noren tied for third in Memphis on Sunday, was seventh the previous week at the Wyndham Championship, and also posted a top-20 at The Open.
While not blessed with huge power off the tee, the former Ryder Cup star makes up for that in other ways and is amongst the top putters on tour, and he led the St Jude field for approach play having struggled for most of the year in that regard.
At 55/1 without Scheffler, Noren is of real interest and it doesn’t really matter if he’s only playing for second behind the world number one.
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
Ludvig Aberg, without Scottie Scheffler, e/w, 14/1 (Virgin Bet);
Adam Scott, without Scottie Scheffler, e/w, 50/1 (BOYLE Sports);
Alex Noren, without Scottie Scheffler, e/w, 55/1 (BOYLE Sports);
Scheffler/Aberg dual forecast, 28/1 (Ladbrokes)