The Grind Starts Now
The PGA Tour band is back together for a three-week sprint that will test every ounce of stamina. Scottie Scheffler, ranked World No. 1, along with No. 2 Rory McIlroy, are competing in the FedEx St. Jude Championship held in Memphis, Tennessee. They will play together in a featured pairing on Thursday and Friday. This event represents their initial pairing together since the opening round of last year’s Tour Championship. This is not a casual start. The schedule demands a massive physical output in brutal weather.
Mark Schlabach reported for ESPN that the three-week stretch figures to be scorching hot. The heat advisory from the National Weather Service covers the entire weekend. Temperatures are expected to hit 101 degrees. Humidity could make it feel like 105. The 69-man field must play 72 holes under these conditions. Daniel Berger is out due to injury, but the rest must survive. The purse sits at $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner. Justin Rose is the defending champion after a three-hole playoff win over J.J. Spaun.
Surviving the Scorching Sun
Players are already changing their gear and their mindset to handle the heat. Rory McIlroy sees the playoffs as one long event rather than three separate stops. “I almost try to view the playoffs as one big, long tournament, like a 12-round event,” McIlroy said Wednesday. He knows the pace is key. The tour moves from Memphis to St. Louis to Atlanta. Every week will feel like the last. The goal is to conserve energy for the final push.
Rory McIlroy has not competed since finishing tied for 40th at The Open on July 19. Rory McIlroy has not competed since finishing tied for 40th at The Open on July 19. Since securing his second consecutive Masters title, he has participated in just six tournaments, three of which were majors. That break was long, maybe too long. “I think having four weeks off going into the last two events of the year was probably going to be a little too much for me in terms of wanting to be competitive,” McIlroy said. Now he just wants to see where his game stands in the heat.
Defending champ Justin Rose is considering a new trick for the weekend. He might use an umbrella while playing, something he has never done before. “It’s like 20 degrees cooler under the umbrella,” Rose said. He tested it in the practice round on Tuesday and it worked. The smaller field helps too. McIlroy noted the two-ball format speeds things up.
Why This Week Defines the Season
Most fans think the FedEx Cup is about skill. This week proves it is about survival. A player can hit the perfect shot and still lose the tournament if they fade in the fourth hour of a hot day. The 101-degree forecast is not a guess. It is a fact that will separate the contenders from the rest. Rory McIlroy knows the risk of taking too much time off. He missed the first leg last season. He won’t make that mistake again.
The strategy for the weekend will look different than any other week. Umbrellas might be as common as drivers. Hydration is the new stat to watch. Brady Kannon at Golf.com has already started looking at the betting angles for this specific weather. The field is small, which means less waiting. But the sun is relentless. Players who treat this like a standard tournament will pay the price. Those who pace themselves like a marathon runner will stay in the hunt. The heat will break some hearts before the first putt drops.
The stakes are higher than just a trophy. The starting strokes for the Tour Championship depend on these results. Every shot in Memphis counts toward the final standings. The $3.6 million winner’s check is nice, but the FedEx Cup title is the real prize. The path to Atlanta runs through this heat. If you cannot handle the sun, you cannot handle the season. The tour is back, but the rules of engagement have changed.
The action begins Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis. The tournament runs through Sunday. Fans can watch the first round on Thursday and Friday with the top players. The final round wraps up the first leg of the playoffs. The next stop is St. Louis, but first, Memphis must be conquered. The heat advisory stays in place through Sunday.
