Scottie Scheffler Battles Illness During BMW Championship

Scottie Scheffler concluded the BMW Championship in St. Louis with an uncharacteristic 13th bogey of the week. The week turned out to be extraordinary due to his health issues.

“I’m sick,” Scheffler mentioned while declining interviews on Thursday.

After finishing with a 2-under 68 on Sunday, Scheffler disclosed that he was dealing with hand, foot, and mouth disease, which caused blisters.

“To start the week, it was painful to grip the club,” he explained. “If I was smarter, maybe I would have pulled out, but I was playing well and thought I could manage the pain to still have a chance.”

Scheffler had recently secured an eight-shot victory in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He was at a peak heading into the final three weeks of the PGA Tour season. In retrospect, Scheffler believed withdrawing might have been a wise choice with not much at stake. He was already assured of being No. 1 in the FedEx Cup through the BMW Championship, which earned him a $23 million bonus. The seeds at the upcoming Tour Championship don’t affect the outcome since all 30 players need to win at East Lake to capture the FedEx Cup.

Scheffler admitted, “That’s part of my stubbornness. It can be a strength and a weakness. I’ve never pulled out of a tournament, especially midway. It’s frustrating.”

Despite the challenges, Scheffler expressed pride in his perseverance. While his throat continued to trouble him, his hands felt normal on the final day. He nearly shook hands with Cameron Young after feeling improved.

Scheffler had a promising three straight birdies that briefly moved him into the top 10, but he finished with a bogey from the fairway bunker. He hit 65% of his greens during the week.

“I felt better as the week progressed. I got sick on Monday night, which was frustrating. Playing well and then crashing from the heat and adrenaline was challenging. I’m still not at 100%, but rest should help,” he mentioned.