Scottie Scheffler on Facing Sam Burns Sunday: “It’s a Little Weird”

Scottie Scheffler enters the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship in the position every player wants—but says the change from chasing to leading will not alter his approach. “Strategy is still the same.” TPC Southwind demands precise execution regardless of a player’s position on the leaderboard. Playing conservatively simply because he is ahead could create the same problems as becoming excessively aggressive while chasing. Scheffler’s plan is therefore uncomplicated: “Go out there and execute.” “Be committed and try to execute.” The third round did not require only birdies. Scheffler also protected his momentum with several important par saves from approximately ten to 15 feet. “Any time you’re holing those kind of ten- to 15-footers, it’s really nice to keep the round going.” Those putts prevented difficult holes from turning into negative stretches. The third hole provided the clearest example. It is a reachable par five where Scheffler normally expects to create at least a birdie opportunity. Instead, he hit a tree and allowed the hole to become unnecessarily complicated. “I kind of made a mess of the hole.” A strong par putt rescued the situation. That save mattered not because par was the ideal result before the hole began, but because it stopped a potential bogey—or worse—from affecting everything that followed. “I was able to hole a nice putt there for par.” Scheffler later took advantage of the reachable par-five 16th. The birdie gave him positive momentum before the demanding closing sequence at TPC Southwind. “It’s definitely a hole you want to take advantage of.” The 17th and 18th become especially difficult when the tee shot misses the fairway. Securing a birdie before reaching those holes allowed Scheffler to enter the finish having already moved forward. “Definitely nice to get some momentum there on the 16th.” The largest Sunday storyline, however, is the player who will be walking alongside him. Scheffler will compete with his close friend Sam Burns in the final round. The pairing creates an unusual emotional balance. “It’s always a little weird.” Scheffler genuinely wants Burns to perform well. He believes Burns feels exactly the same toward him. “I want him to have success so much, and I think he wants the same for me.” That mutual support does not remove the competitive reality. Both players will attempt to win. Both will execute their own strategy. And both understand that one friend’s success on Sunday may prevent the other from lifting the trophy. “Tomorrow we’ll go out there and play our game and see where things finish up at the end of the day.” Scheffler expects the round to feel fun because he is sharing it with a friend—and strange for precisely the same reason. “It will be a competition like normal.” “It will be fun being out there with your friend, but it’s also a bit weird at the same time.” There will apparently be no dramatic pre-round exchange of motivational messages. Asked whether he and Burns would communicate on Saturday evening, Scheffler offered the simplest explanation: “I wouldn’t say texting is one of my strong suits.” The final round will not be decided through messages, friendship or attempts to predict the other player’s score. For Scheffler, it returns to the same formula that applies every week: Commit to the target. Execute the shot. Accept the result. Repeat until the tournament is finished. Watch Scottie Scheffler’s complete third-round interview from the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. #ScottieScheffler #SamBurns #FedExStJude