Scottie Scheffler finished with a 13th bogey in a week that looked ordinary on the scorecard but turned out to be a medical nightmare. The world’s top-ranked golfer admitted he was sick with hand, foot, and mouth disease, a viral infection that causes painful blisters on the hands and feet. ESPN reported that Scheffler explained his swing appeared off at the BMW Championship by stating, “So to start the week it was pretty painful to grip the club.”
Most players would have walked off the course the moment the blisters appeared. Scheffler did not. He played through the pain to finish his round, even though he knew the stakes were already settled. He had already won the FedEx Cup title and secured a $23 million bonus before the tournament even started. Seeds for the Tour Championship no longer mattered since all 30 qualifiers only needed to win one shot at East Lake to take the cup.
The stubbornness to play while hurting is a trait that defines the best competitors in the game. Scheffler acknowledged this mix of strength and weakness when he told reporters, “That’s part of my stubbornness, probably.” This capability likely serves as both my strength and a recurring weakness. He felt better as the week went on, but the initial crash hit him hard on Monday night after a few days of good play.
Scheffler faced a clear choice between health and pride. He admitted that pulling out might have been the smarter move, yet he stayed because he felt he could still contend early. “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,” he said.
This kind of grit separates the good players from the great ones, but it also carries risks. He hit only 65% of his greens this week, a number that would have been unacceptable in a normal week. The physical toll of the virus made it hard to control the ball, yet he managed to close with a 2-under 68 on Sunday. His throat was still bugging him pretty good, but his hands felt normal by the end.
The real test for Scheffler is not the score at East Lake, but how he handles the pressure of the final round. He nearly shook hands with Cameron Young at the finish because he was feeling back to normal, a small sign that recovery is underway. He observed, “I felt better as the week went on,” while also noting he remains not 100% now.
Rest is the only prescription left for the tour leader. He plans to get some rest now, hoping that will help him recover fully before the Tour Championship starts Thursday. The golf world will watch to see if the blisters are truly gone or if they will linger into the final event. If he can grip the club without pain, the FedEx Cup title is already his, but the health of the game depends on players knowing when to step back.
