Scottie Scheffler followed a course-record 61 with a third-round 68 to take a 2-shot lead into Sunday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

The world No. 1 reached 13-under 197 through 54 holes at TPC Southwind, where he will play alongside Sam Burns in the final group. Burns and Sungjae Im share second place at 11-under.

Scheffler began the weekend three strokes clear after producing the round of the tournament on Friday. He birdied each of his first five holes and made 11 birdies against two bogeys in 100-degree heat, matching the course record with his 9-under round.

The 61 took him to 11-under 129 and created separation from Im and Viktor Hovland, who were tied for second after 36 holes. Scheffler then added two shots to his total during the third round, although Burns reduced the deficit with a bogey-free 62.

Scheffler’s lead conversion record

Scheffler has held or shared the 54-hole lead 18 previous times in individual PGA Tour stroke-play events, converting 12 of them into victories. He has won on each of the past eight occasions when leading or sharing the lead entering the final round.

This is his 19th 54-hole lead or co-lead since joining the Tour. No other player has recorded more than 10 since the start of the 2019-20 season, with Rory McIlroy next on that list.

Scheffler has also won 10 consecutive times when holding an outright 54-hole lead. Tiger Woods owns the record of 36, set across a span beginning at the 1997 Masters and ending at the 2009 Buick Open.

The 30-year-old is seeking his 21st PGA Tour victory in his 168th start. A win would be his second of the season following The American Express, extending a run of multiple-victory campaigns to five consecutive seasons.

Scheffler has finished inside the top-5 in 11 of his 17 starts this season, more than any other player. He has also recorded five runner-up finishes, matching the highest total by one player in a PGA Tour season since 1983.

Burns and Im lead the pursuit

Burns’ third-round 62 was his lowest score in 25 competitive rounds at TPC Southwind, improving on the 63 he shot during the second round in 2024. The five-time Tour winner is chasing his first title since the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

It is the fourth time this season that Burns has entered a final round inside the top three. His previous opportunities included The Masters and The Open Championship, where he held the outright 54-hole lead before finishing third.

Im began the week 53rd in the FedExCup standings and is projected to move inside the top-50. The South Korean is seeking his third PGA Tour title and his first since the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open.

Jake Knapp and reigning FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood are tied for fourth at 8-under. Si Woo Kim is another shot back at 7-under.

FedExCup places remain at stake

Scheffler entered the playoff opener with a 794-point advantage over Matt Fitzpatrick at the top of the FedExCup standings. He had already secured his place in the BMW Championship, while much of the field was competing for one of the 50 available places.

The top-50 after Sunday will advance to the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. Those players will also qualify for every $20 million Signature Event during the 2027 season.

Scheffler is making his seventh appearance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has three previous top-four finishes at the event but has yet to win at TPC Southwind.

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