Scottie Scheffler opened the BMW Championship with a bogey on his first hole and never quite looked like himself over the next four rounds. Golf‘s world No. 1 finally explained why after his final round in St. Louis. He had been playing through an illness typically contracted by children, which left him with painful blisters on his hands, feet and throat.
Scheffler finished tied for 12th at seven under par at Bellerive Country Club. The symptoms began Monday night, one day after his eight-shot win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. He considered withdrawing but chose to play through the pain instead.
MORE: Scottie Scheffler about to pass Tiger Woods on valuable PGA list
Scheffler explains why he played through the illnessScottie Scheffler poses with the J. K. Wadley Trophy and The Keeper after winning the BMW Championship golf tournament in 2025.Scheffler described the diagnosis bluntly after his round. “I got the hand, foot, mouth [disease]. So you’ve got blisters on your hands, and in your throat, and on your feet. So, to start the week, it was pretty painful to grip the club,” he said.
The world No. 1 admitted his stubbornness played a role in his decision to stay in the field. “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’d still have a chance. But I think that’s part of my stubbornness, probably,” Scheffler said.
He went further when explaining his history with tournament withdrawals. “That’s probably a strength of mine, and a weakness at times. I’ve never been one to pull out of a tournament, especially in the middle of it; that’s really frustrating for me. And so I definitely didn’t want to do that going into this week, even though it was suggested,” Scheffler said.
Hand, foot and mouth disease spreads through bodily fluids and most commonly affects children under age 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adults often catch it from infected children. Scheffler and his wife have two children, each under age 3.
Scheffler’s finish keeps him atop the FedExCup standingsScottie Scheffler hits a tee shot on hole 10 during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities.Scheffler opened the tournament with a two-over-par 72 before rounding into form with scores of 65, 68 and 68. He said his throat continued to bother him after the final round, though his hands improved. “My throat is still bugging me pretty good. But my hands feel normal today,” Scheffler said.
Despite the rough week, Scheffler heads into the Tour Championship at East Lake atop the FedExCup standings. He already secured the $23 million bonus tied to that position with his win in Memphis.
MORE: LIV Golf has experienced multiple setbacks since it announced new funding
The illness cost Scheffler in one measurable way. He ranked 31st in the field in strokes gained on approach shots at the BMW Championship, a steep drop from his typical output. Even so, he closed the tournament with three rounds in the 60s and avoided a missed cut, a streak that has held since August 2022.
Scheffler will look to close out the FedExCup with a win next week, which would add another trophy to a season that already includes a victory at the American Express and the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
Leave a Comment