Scottie Scheffler Leads Sam Burns by Two at FedEx St. Jude

Scottie Scheffler will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship after recovering from a difficult start to post a 2-under 68 on Saturday in Memphis. Scheffler reached 13-under 197, with Sam Burns and Sungjae Im tied for second at 11-under 199.

The final day carries significance across the leaderboard in the FedEx Cup playoffs. Scheffler is seeking to end a run of five runner-up finishes and five other top-four results since his only victory of 2026, while players around the projected top-50 cutoff are trying to secure places in next week’s BMW Championship and next year’s signature events.

Scheffler steadies himself to protect Memphis advantage

Scheffler hit only one green in regulation over his opening five holes. His trouble on the par-5 third included a shot from the right rough that struck a tree above him and dropped straight down. From mangled rough beside a bunker, he was left with 111 yards and played to 12 feet before saving par.

He then bogeyed the following hole from behind the green and did not make his first birdie until the par-3 eighth. Consecutive birdies early on the back nine restored his lead, and a 12-foot par save at the 15th helped keep his round moving in the right direction.

Scheffler said the mid-range par saves were important to his momentum. His 68 kept him two ahead of Burns, who surged into the final group with a 62, and Im, who shot 67 to join Burns in second.

The Sunday pairing will be a new situation for Scheffler and Burns, described by Scheffler as his closest friend in golf. It will be their first time together in the final group. Scheffler said the friendship makes the circumstance “a little weird,” but said they would play their own games and treat it as normal competition.

Burns enters the last round without a victory despite close calls at the U.S. Open and British Open. He said he will need a very good round to erase the two-shot deficit against the world No. 1, noting that Scheffler will not “lay down.”

Im remains firmly in the title picture after holding his position in Saturday’s final group with Scheffler. He began the week at No. 53 in the FedEx Cup and is the only player projected to move into the top 50 going into Sunday. Im said his focus was on each shot because every shot matters.

FedEx Cup cutoff adds pressure throughout the field

Tommy Fleetwood, the FedEx Cup champion, shot 68 and was tied with Jake Knapp, who carded 67, five shots behind Scheffler. The tournament is not only a contest for the title, however, as the top 50 in the FedEx Cup after this week advance to the BMW Championship and are assured spots in all $20 million signature events next year.

Jordan Spieth started the third round tied for fifth after opening with a 65, but his 72 sent him into a tie for 19th. Spieth, who began the week at No. 54 in the FedEx Cup, did not make a birdie until the 11th hole and was projected to remain outside the top 50 with one round left.

Brian Harman, who arrived at No. 65, shot 69 and was tied for sixth, leaving him needing to gain a few more places on Sunday. Keith Mitchell was projected at No. 49 and tied for 22nd, while Maverick McNealy was also tied for 22nd and projected at No. 50.

With the heat index exceeding 100 degrees on Saturday, the final round at TPC Southwind will decide both the championship and crucial postseason positions. Scheffler has the lead, but Burns and Im are close enough to ensure that every shot at the top matters as much as the movement around the cutoff.