ATLANTA – Scottie Scheffler didn’t reveal till the tip of the BMW Championship that he was battling hand, foot and mouth illness, an sickness that brought on painful sores on his arms and throat.
Lower than per week later, Scheffler mentioned he nonetheless has a sore throat however that, total, he feels “actually good.”
“I’m at like 95%,” he mentioned Wednesday at East Lake.
Having bother gripping the membership due to the blisters on his arms, Scheffler thought-about withdrawing from the second playoff occasion however in the end determined to tee it up, rallying after an opening-round 72 to tie for 12th.
“Stuff like that, I take quite a lot of delight in,” he mentioned.
It actually impressed a few of his friends, too.
Gary Woodland shares a swing coach and coach with Scheffler, and so he knew the weeklong battle to compete. Woodland and others actively averted the coaching desk on which Scheffler was working.
“That’s the stubbornness that Scottie has to combat by it final week and play,” Woodland mentioned. “One in every of Randy Smith’s large offers is ensuring our grip is identical day-after-day. One of many issues we are able to management is controlling the clubface and ensuring our grip is identical. He’s obtained blisters on his arms and attempting to grip the membership. That simply exhibits you ways dang good he’s to indicate up and end 12th. It’s spectacular.”
Woodland and Scheffler have grown shut in recent times after Woodland reconnected along with his longtime coach. Woodland has attended a few “coaching camps” in Dallas, the place he spends three or 4 days engaged on his recreation and working towards with Scheffler. Properly, extra precisely, they play cash video games – $100 a gap, not together with presses.
Si Woo Kim can be a part of these matches, and he joked this week that he’s misplaced to Scheffler so many instances that he’s “paying for his second son, all of the diapers.”
Woodland confirmed that he, too, has served as a human ATM for the world No. 1. He admitted that he’s by no means crushed Scheffler at residence, together with only a few weeks in the past, when Scheffler parred the final three holes to accept a 60. Scheffler went on to win by eight pictures.
“He’s laborious to beat out right here,” Woodland mentioned. “He’s actually laborious to beat in Dallas.”
Right here’s a take a look at tee instances and how one can watch the opening spherical of the FedExCup Playoffs finale.