When Scottie Scheffler teed off in the last round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, he was in an enviable position. This surprise twist played out on the ground in Memphis, Tennessee. The world’s No. 1 player was two shots back of the lead to start the day. Unfortunately, though, his regular caddie, Ted Scott, had to leave abruptly due to a family emergency back home in Louisiana. When confronted with this unanticipated obstacle, Scheffler didn’t hesitate to call an old friend he trusted. He asked tour chaplain Brad Payne—who had previously caddied for Davis—a week’s notice to be his stand-in caddie.
Ted Scott left immediately after the third round of the tournament. This unfortunate timing would compound the leadership challenges Scheffler found himself in that week. The PGA Tour has maintained secrecy about the specifics of Scott’s emergency. As heartbreaking as it was to watch, it was obvious that he needed to be making the trip back home for his daughter’s graduation. This unexpected turn of events left Scheffler scrambling to find a new caddie on extremely short notice.
Brad Payne, shown above, is the president of the College Golf Fellowship and works as a chaplain to a number of PGA Tour players. Aside from his close friendship with Scheffler. Payne and Scheffler are longtime collaborators. When Scott once again had to withdraw during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, Payne stepped in to caddie for Scheffler. That natural rapport made Payne a perfect fit as Scheffler quelled the pressure of his fateful final round in Memphis.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship marks a significant event in the PGA Tour schedule, and Scheffler’s position just behind the leaders added to the intensity of the competition. As a man who has been in this spot before, he knows the difficulties of being near the front. Despite the rollercoaster developments with his support team, he showed no signs of losing his cool in performance.
Scheffler was in an extremely tricky position already. One day prior to the tournament’s third round, he was detained for failing to obey police orders while the police were investigating a traffic fatality. This controversial call led to dramatic conversations between fans and analysts across the country. That didn’t stop Scheffler from pursuing his dream of playing at the highest level.
As Scheffler teed off on Sunday, he boldly drew on Payne’s expertise. The powerful display of unity he found inspiration in Payne’s support during what might have been a painfully distracting time. The stark contrast between the two must have provided some healing balm in the face of all that the new world of professional golf demanded.
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