Memphis: Scottie Scheffler takes three-shot lead at playoff opener

By Liam Tremblay — 15 August 2026 — 4 min read

Scheffler’s Dominant Second Round

Scottie Scheffler delivered a strong performance on Friday, shooting a 9-under 61 to secure a three-stroke lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee. His round included 11 birdies and two bogeys at TPC Southwind. This impressive showing matched the tournament course record.

Scheffler, who is the top-ranked golfer, began the day three shots behind the lead after an opening round of 68. He quickly erased this deficit by birdying his first five holes and six of his first seven. He now holds an 11-under 129 total heading into the weekend.

Despite his strong play, TPC Southwind is a course Scheffler has played more times (seven) without a win than any other course on the PGA Tour. The conditions on Friday were challenging, with temperatures reaching 38 Celsius.

Leaderboard Overview and Notable Performances

Following Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Sungjae Im are tied for second place at 8 under. Hovland posted a 64 for his round, while Im recorded his second consecutive 66. Im had held a two-shot lead over Adam Scott earlier in the day.

Other players on the leaderboard include Ludvig Aberg at 7 under, and a group tied for fifth at 6 under: Nico Echavarria, Tommy Fleetwood, Jordan Spieth, and Brian Harman. A further group is tied for ninth at 5 under, featuring Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Keith Mitchell, Patrick Cantlay, Jake Knapp, and Wyndham Clark.

During his second round, Scheffler experienced a mix of highs and lows. After a bogey on the 12th hole, where his tee shot landed in a water hazard, he recovered with a birdie on the 13th, despite finding a bunker off the tee. He then went on to record consecutive birdies on holes 15 and 16.

Earlier in the day, Matti Schmid achieved a hole-in-one on the 173-yard par-3 No. 4 hole. Schmid was 3 under for the day after six holes and even for the tournament. Alex Smalley also made a notable climb, reaching 6 under for the tournament after four birdies on the front nine.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju moved from even to 5 under, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 No. 3 hole, achieved with a 33-foot chip. Keith Mitchell started his second round with three consecutive birdies, adding a fourth on the No. 7 hole.

Patrick Cantlay, after a 1-under par first round, showed improvement on Friday with a birdie on No. 2 and an eagle on No. 3. He added another birdie on No. 6 and, despite a bogey on No. 8, birdied No. 12 to reach 5 under.

Robert MacIntyre withdrew from the tournament after a challenging opening round on Thursday. He carded a 12-over-par 82, which included three double bogeys and a triple bogey. His withdrawal meant his playing partner, J.T. Poston, played his second round alone.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is being broadcast on ESPN, with streaming options available on the ESPN App and Disney+.

Friday’s Tee Times and Early Performances

Friday’s tee times featured various pairings throughout the morning. Early starters included Harry Hall and Corey Conners at 7:10 a.m., followed by Shane Lowry and Max Homa at 7:20 a.m. Sungjae Im and Sudarshan Yellamaraju teed off at 7:30 a.m., with Matt McCarty and Keith Mitchell at 7:40 a.m.

Other notable pairings included Sahith Theegala and Patrick Cantlay at 7:50 a.m., and Ben Griffin with Jake Knapp at 8 a.m. Chris Gotterup and Min Woo Lee started at 8:10 a.m., while Michael Brennan and Justin Rose began at 8:20 a.m. Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark had an 8:30 a.m. tee time.

Jordan Spieth, who was in a five-way tie for first place entering Friday, started strong with a 16-foot birdie putt on No. 1. However, he later bogeyed two of his next three holes. Chris Gotterup, after a 4 under first round, began Friday with a bogey but recovered with three birdies and five pars on his front nine.

Kurt Kitayama, who shot 5 under on Thursday, had a challenging start to his second round with a bogey, double bogey, and another bogey after two early birdies.

Scheffler’s round concluded with him holding a significant lead, setting the stage for the remainder of the tournament.

Source: panow.com