Scottie Scheffler is golf’s Arsenal but ludicrous FedEx Cup might crown wrong $10m title winner

Let’s put this into football terms, shall we? That always helps.

Picture this: Arsenal are 20 points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of the final day.

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But instead of wrapping up the title in April, the league is decided by who claims the biggest victory in Gameweek 38.

The Gunners are ravaged with injuries, away at Manchester City, and Liverpool are at home to Hull (or maybe Man United are the stronger example based on Saturday’s showing).

This would not be fair – and yet it is exactly what world no.1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is facing this week.

Farcical FedEx Cup

The top 30 players on the points list head to the Tour Championship at East Lake to decide who wins the FedEx Cup.

It is the closest thing on the PGA Tour to a season-long race, although in reality it barely resembles one.

Every player starts the finale at even par, meaning whoever has the best week will ultimately win the FedEx Cup and the $10million prize.

Previously, there were starting strokes, so that Scheffler’s dominance over the season would be reflected with a head start on the leaderboard.

Even this seemed a little unfair, given how quickly two shots can vanish over 72 holes.

Now, though, it is completely farcical. Ryan Fox can win the PGA Tour’s version of the Premier League despite being 30th ahead of the final week.

Scheffler fighting illness

Anything can happen in one week: someone can get hot on the greens, the putter can go cold, or you can get hand, foot and mouth disease.

That is the fate which has befallen Scheffler before competing for a $10m prize which should already belong to him, given he is 1,523 points clear of Matt Fitzpatrick in second in the FedEx Cup rankings.

“I got sick Monday night. I got the hand, foot, mouth, so you get blisters on your hands and in your throat and on your feet,” he said after a difficult BMW Championship.

“So to start the week it was pretty painful to grip the club. If I was smarter maybe I would have pulled out but I was playing so good I felt like if I could knock it out quickly and just get through the first couple rounds I would still have a chance.

“That’s part of my stubbornness – probably a strength of mine and a weakness at times – as I’ve never been one to ever pull out of a tournament, especially in the middle of it.

“I’m proud of how I fought. I feel like I’m starting to heal up and my throat is still bugging me pretty good but my hands feel normal (now). Hopefully the throat will clear up the next couple days.”

Scheffler still gets his money

Ironically, Scheffler was one of the players in favour of the decision to move away from starting strokes in 2024.

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And after a complete free-for-all in 2025, the $100m bonus pool has since been adjusted to reward the player who wins the season-long points race.

Scheffler gets $10m for finishing top of the Comcast Business Regular Season Top 10 and $23m for holding the No. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup standings following the BMW Championship.

So his bank balance reflects his total dominance – as it should.

But when it comes down to whose name gets put on the FedEx Cup, the PGA Tour has decided to prioritise high stakes, tension and overinflated purses for people who might not actually deserve it, rather than boring old sporting integrity.

Wasn’t that why we all hated LIV Golf? I can’t keep up.