Scottie Scheffler is feeling close to full strength for the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour season. He reported on Wednesday that he is about 95% recovered from a bout of hand, foot, and mouth disease that he played through during the BMW Championship last week.
Scheffler disclosed after finishing tied for 12th at the BMW Championship that he had been experiencing blisters on his hands, feet, and throat, which made gripping his clubs painful. Despite the discomfort, he chose to continue competing in the FedExCup playoff 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’d still have a chance. But I think that’s part of my stubbornness, probably," Scheffler said.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness, primarily affecting young children but also capable of infecting adults. Scheffler, who is a father to two young sons, acknowledged the challenges of managing golf and family life.
"I think it’s always a balancing act," Scheffler said. "I’m at a point in my life where, yeah, it’s really hard having two young kids and taking care of them. I think anyone with young kids can relate, you’re just tired literally all the time."
Scheffler enters the Tour Championship as a favorite. He won the opening FedExCup playoff event, the St. Jude Championship, by eight strokes and is competing for a purse of $40 million, with the winner receiving $10 million.
Another notable athlete, former Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard, also contracted hand, foot, and mouth disease in 2018.