The heat is officially on in Memphis, Tennessee, this week for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, literally and figuratively.
Yes, it’s playoff season on the PGA Tour, which is fiery in itself, but temperatures are also expected to reach triple digits by the weekend at TPC Southwind, only adding fuel to the fire for the top 70 players.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, however, is no stranger to hot, humid temperatures calling Dallas, Texas, home and he’s already prepping for the conditions in the Volunteer State.
“A lot of the hydration is something you have to focus on beforehand, and it’s not necessarily water, it’s a lot of electrolytes and stuff like that,” Scheffler said. “The heat is something you really have to prepare for ahead of time.”
Like any great athlete, preparation is second nature for Scheffler, who even seems to have mastered how to avoid the dreaded feeling from drinking too much water: “It feels like it sits in your belly sometimes,” he explained.
So how does he avoid the bloat? He hydrates with caution: early and often. “You can only drink so much water out on the course without getting waterlogged,” Scheffler said. “That’s something that we actually experience at home depending on, if I take a break to eat lunch and go back out and chug a bunch of water, you can get waterlogged.”
The 30-year-old insists he keeps it simple in his bag while on the course: “Always food, water, and electrolytes.”
And as expected, those closest to him are also making sure Scheffler is satiated during these scorching summer days in the south. “Teddy always has snacks,” Scheffler said. “My wife makes protein balls for me. Some days I eat them; some days I don’t.”
While Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, appears to have the snack department on lockdown, Scheffler is far from impressed with his latest facial hairstyle.
“He looks stupid,” said Scheffler of Scott’s new mustache.
“I definitely won’t be joining him... I feel like he always does something like that this time of year.”
Scott sported a Ted Lasso-esque mustache during Tuesday’s practice round and it’s unclear whether it comes with the superstitions of a “playoff beard” or whether Scheffler will make him shave it for the BMW Championship next week. Alas, if the grin on Scott’s face is any indicator, he’s definitely enjoying his new look.
Scheffler tees off alongside Rory McIlroy on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET in the first leg of the FedExCup playoffs.
