Too much practice disrupts perfection, as Scheffler eases into FedEx Cup playoffs

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Scottie Scheffler returned home from his British Open victory, made a few brief appearances in New York and used the claret jug to get 15-month-old son Bennett into the men's grill at Royal Oaks in Dallas.

He is rested. The key for Scheffler, regardless of the tournament, is to be ready.

But, this is the time of the year, even with $15 million at stake, not to be grinding on the range.

"At this point in the year, that extra practice is maybe only going to be draining for me a little bit, and that's something that I've learned to manage as my career has gone on," Scheffler said Wednesday after his pro-am round in the FedEx St Jude Championship.

The tournament at TPC Southwind is the start of three straight Fed-Ex Cup playoff events that culminate with the FedEx Cup title for whoever wins the Tour Championship.

In a revamped postseason, the $25 million winnings have been split up into three parts.

Scheffler already picked up $10 million for leading the FedEx Cup in the regular season (along with $8 million from the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 bonus program).

The FedEx Cup leader after the BMW Championship next week gets $5 million, and the winner of the Tour Championship — all 30 players start from scratch this time — gets $10 million.

The TPC Southwind is where Scheffler last missed a cut in 2022(when the postseason was for the top 125 players, not the top 70). This year, he comes to the postseason off a double major season — the PGA Championship and the British Open — and has finished in the top 10 in his last 11 tournaments since March.

It's safe to say his game is in reasonably good shape.

Now it's about conserving energy for August's stops in Memphis, Baltimore and Atlanta.

"I would say my prep week last week definitely looked a bit different than it would have looked before the Scottish Open (in July), and definitely looked a little bit different than it would have looked if you go back to the beginning of the year, when I was coming off an injury," he said.

"So, I'm making sure I'm rested and ready to play," he said.

"My game is in a good spot, and I feel like some extra practice at this point in the year can almost be detrimental in terms of just physical and mental fatigue."

Scheffler stopped in New York for a brief appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show and to attend the Happy Gilmore 2 premier. A lot of time included that silver claret jug he picked up from a dominant victory at Royal Portrush.

"We had a party two weeks ago at home with some of our friends, and everybody got to drink out of it. It was a lot of fun," Scheffler said.

He has also brought golf's oldest trophy to his home course at Royal Oaks — Justin Leonard brought the claret jug to the course when he won the Open in 1997 — and there was one time he went with just his son.

"He whacked some golf balls around, and we hung out for a bit," Scheffler said. "I took him to the 19th hole with me, and I got some pretty funny pictures with Bennett sitting in the 19th hole at the men's only grill where you've got to be — I think you've got to be 19 — to get in there, but I figured if we bring in a couple of major championship trophies with us, they'll let the rules slide on that one."

And, now, it's back to work. The points are quadrupled for the postseason, but Scheffler has such a lead — and Rory McIlroy is sitting this one out — that he is assured of staying at No 1.

This is one of the most important tournaments of the year, because the top 50 after this week not only advance to the BMW Championship, but they are also assured of getting into all the $20 million signature events next year.

Peculiar schedule

McIlroy was hot and tired when he finished the FedEx St Jude Championship last year. He was No 3 in the FedEx Cup. He beat only one player at the TPC Southwind and tied for 68th, finishing 26 shots behind. He dropped all the way to No 5.

"I'm not even sure why I'm playing," McIlroy said with a chuckle.

So, it comes as no surprise that McIlroy has decided to sit out the start of the PGA Tour postseason, a move he has telegraphed for a year.

It adds to a peculiar season of scheduling for McIlroy, who was intent on cutting back.

He already missed two signature events at Hilton Head and Memorial (he also missed The Sentry at Kapalua, which he has played only once, because he starts his year on the European Tour). But he added the RBC Canadian Open a week after the Memorial and the week before the US Open. He also chose to defend his title with Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic.

Agencies via Xinhua