World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler disclosed that he was playing through hand, foot, and mouth disease during the BMW Championship. The contagious illness made gripping his club difficult and painful throughout the tournament.
Scheffler, who had recently secured an eight-shot victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, admitted he may have been better off withdrawing from the event. "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," Scheffler said.
He explained that the illness began Monday night, impacting his ability to perform. "It was pretty painful to grip the club," he stated. "I felt better as the week went on. I got sick Monday night. That was probably the most frustrating part. Playing really good golf, and you come out of the heat and get a little adrenaline, sometimes your body kind of crashes. Then it hit me pretty good all week."
Despite the discomfort, Scheffler finished the tournament with a two-under 68 on Sunday. He noted that his throat was still bothering him, but his hands felt normal by the final day. Scheffler, who was already guaranteed to be No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings regardless of his BMW Championship performance, expressed pride in his resilience. "I've never been one to ever pull out of a tournament, especially in the middle of it. That's really frustrating for me. But I'm proud of how I fought," he said.
Scheffler stated he is starting to heal but will be resting to fully recover. He is preparing for the upcoming Tour Championship, where the top 30 players will compete for the FedEx Cup. Only one of his few missteps during the tournament involved nearly shaking hands with competitor Cameron Young, an action he avoided as he began to feel better by the end of the week.