Scottie Scheffler added yet another feather to his cap! Last week, he defeated Tommy Fleetwood with a one-stroke victory at Le Golf National in Paris. The world’s No. 1 golfer shot a 9-under-62 last week and took home the Olympic trophy for the USA. The win also gave him 50 additional points in the Official World Golf Ranking, strengthening his position in the top spot. With six wins so far this season, Scottie Scheffler even sits tight on the lead in the FedEx Cup standings.

Ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Patrick Cantlay, who sits eighth on the OWGR list, was asked whose year he would choose to have: Scottie Scheffler or Xander Schauffele. He stated, “But Scottie has played unbelievable golf. With the amount of tournament wins he’s had, it’s just been super impressive.” However, according to him, the last three weeks on the men’s circuit also account for a significant run, and the tables can turn at any moment.

Apart from Cantlay’s choice, another golfer who had an amazing 2024 is Xander Schauffele, who currently sits in the second position on the OWGR list and the FedEx Cup rankings. The 2020 Olympics champion has had twelve top-10 finishes, which includes two major victories in one season, marking a historic year for him. Additionally, after his Open Championship win, Schauffele even beat Rory McIlroy to take the second position.

Despite several golfers having remarkable seasons, the tough competition over the next three weeks will be crucial. The remaining events are the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship. The players’ performance in these events will largely affect the choice of Player of the Year. Taking to this, Patrick Cantlay said, “I’m sure a lot of people start to ask themselves that when voting comes for Player of the Year, so I think some of it will be decided by how they play these next three weeks.”

Xander Schauffele currently has 4057 points in the FedEx Cup standings. This is 1936 points less than Scottie Scheffler, who is sitting in the lead with 5993 points for the season. Now, the FedEx St. Jude Championship is the next event on the men’s circuit. Scheduled from August 15 to August 18 at Memphis, the winner will take home a whopping 2000 FedEx points along with the trophy and the prize money.

Even the second event included in the playoffs offers the same FedEx points as the St. Jude Championship. If Xander Schauffele gears up and can grab the victory in at least either of the two and Scottie Scheffler fails to get the trophy, Schauffele will still have the opportunity to grab the title of Player of the Year. But where does Patrick Cantlay stand in the FedEx playoffs?

Patrick Cantlay needs to gear up for the St. Jude Championship

Patrick Cantlay currently stands eleventh in the FedEx Cup standings, with 1780 points. That is like 4213 points away from Scottie Scheffler. Only the top 70 players on the list will be eligible for the FedEx playoffs. This is why Patrick Cantlay needs to buckle up for the St. Jude Championship. If he fails to grab a good finish in the event, he might drop drastically on the list.

On the other hand, if he ends up with a win at the St. Jude Championship, he will surpass Rory McIlroy and get on the list of the top 3, grabbing a good 2024 season finish. “This week is more target golf,” he even said at the practice round! Do you think Patrick Cantlay will be able to take charge and jump up high on the list? Stay tuned to find out!