Tom Kim has spent a few rounds on the tour chasing Scottie Scheffler. One of them was at the playoff duel at the 2024 Travelers Championship after countless practice rounds together at home. Saturday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship put him in that position once again.
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Scottie Scheffler has been one player nobody could catch this week, riding a course-record 61 in Round 2 to take the 36-hole lead despite having only one victory so far in his 2026 campaign. So when Kim was asked what it’s like chasing a player performing like that, his answer was unexpected but left no doubt where he stands.
“Yeah, he’s only had one win this year, so he’s kind of off,” Kim said. “No, it’s kudos to him. He keeps it; I think he’s probably the best number one in the world that we’ve had in a while. No one’s been this dominant for this long. He works so hard; he deserves everything.
I’m just glad I posted a nice round on Saturday. Obviously he’s so good, so we’re not really focused on him. I’m just kind of focused on my game.”
The joke was naturally a lighthearted one, but it posed a bigger picture. Scottie Scheffler does have just one win in 2026, coming back in January at the American Express. But the rest of his season, although winless, has been one of the most dominant ones in his career as well. He has racked up 10 top-five finishes, including five runner-up results, heading into the playoffs.
Moreover, he arrived in Memphis with roughly a 794-point lead over Matt Fitzpatrick atop the FedExCup standings. He then tied the TPC Southwind course record with a 9-under 61 in round two, easily wiping out a three-shot deficit and turning it into a three-shot lead by Saturday morning.
Amid the high-stakes competition at FedEx, the conversation about the Player of the Year award also turned in. The award, officially known as the Jack Nicklaus Award, is decided by a vote of PGA Tour members who have played at least 15 events. The results are announced in December. Scottie Scheffler has won it for four straight years, from 2022 to 2025, tying him with Tiger Woods for the longest consecutive streak in the award’s history. A fifth in 2026 would pull him level with Woods’ record of five consecutive titles. When the question was asked of Kim, his answer was quite clear.
“I don’t know, I haven’t really paid attention on who’s the best Player of the Year. I know some guys have had three wins, but this guy with one win he’s leading the FedExCup by like 1,000 or close to that. So it’s pretty dominant. You look at someone else; this is probably one of the best years that someone would have, and it’s just somewhat below average. So you can never take him out of the Player of the Year argument.”
With one round left in Memphis and the BMW Championship on deck, Scottie Scheffler’s push for win No. 2 will continue on Sunday. The Player of the Year vote and whether one win is enough to extend his streak won’t be settled until December.