The Punter's In-Play Blog: Scheffler shoots clear at TPC Southwind

08:00 - August 15, 2026 - Odds-on Scheffler the man to beat

The pre-event 6.411/2 favourite, Scottie Scheffler, began the second round of the FedEx St Jude Championship like a man on a mission, birdying his first five holes.

The world number one cooled off a bit after that but with three birdies in-a-row from the 15^th and a regulation par four at the last, he tied the course record with a nine-under-par 61 on Friday and he heads into the weekend with a commanding three-stroke lead.

Here's the 36-hole leaderboard with prices to back on the Betfair Exchange at 07:50.

Scottie Scheffler -11 1.558/15
Viktor Hovland -8 12.011/1
Sungjae Im -8 21.020/1
Ludvig Aberg -7 17.016/1
Tommy Fleetwood -6 23.022/1
Brian Harman -6 75.074/1
Jordan Spieth -6 80.079/1
Nico Echavarria -6 110.0109/1
Patrick Cantlay -5 70.069/1
Wyndham Clark -5 80.079/1
Jake Knapp -5 150.0149/1
Keith Mitchell -5 160.0159/1
Sudarshan Yellamaraju -5 350.0349/1
-4 and 120.0119/1 bar

Scheffler is the 24^th player to hold a clear advantage through 36 holes at TPC Southwind in the last 30 years and he's bidding to become the 11^th to convert.

In that time, we've seen four men lead by three at this stage with Tommy Fleetwood, 12 months ago, being the last of the four and the second to fail to convert. The Englishman missed out on the playoff by a stroke, but he traded at as short as 1.061/18.

Scheffler led the Memorial Tournament by three at halfway two years ago and he went on to win by a stroke but over the last 10 years on the PGA Tour, only 13 of 36 (33.3%) three-stroke 36-hole leaders have gone on to win.

The strike rate improves fractionally if we look as far back as the last 30 years on the PGA Tour with 36 of 105 converting their lead (34.2%) but the stats suggest Scheffler kicking on and winning is far from a formality.

We also have to consider that although he's had another largely consistent year, with 11 top 10s, he hasn't won since he claimed The American Express in January and in that time, he's finished second five times.

Scheffler will be very keen to get the job done here but he lost a playoff at the Travelers Championship at the end of June to Viktor Hovland having led by two at halfway and all things considered, he looks a bit short at around the 1.68/13 mark.

Having backed Hovland before the off at 48.047/1, I'll be hoping he's the one to upset the favourite again, and my Find Me a 100 Winner pick, Nico Echavarria, is also within striking distance so I've got a couple to cheer on in round three and I'm going to leave the event alone for now.

Two tied at the top in Denmark

Over on the DP World Tour, the third round of the Danish Golf Championship is already underway where the pre-event 75.074/1 chance, Antoine Rozner, is tied for the lead with 560.0559/1 chance, Cameron Adam, who set the new course record in round two.

Those two are sitting on -11 with the pre-event 50.049/1 chance, Ewen Ferguson, alone in third on -10 and it looks like a tough event to work out.

I managed to get a very small bet matched on Todd Clements, who sits tied for 11^th and four back, at 44.043/1, but that's as far as it goes for me at this stage.

Clements, who won the Czech Masters almost exactly three years ago, finished runner-up at the co-sanctioned Corales Puntacana Championship last time out so I thought he was an interesting runner heading into the weekend after a solid start and my pre-event pick, Rasmus Hojgaard, is certainly not out of it.

The classy Dane, who won this event three years ago, is alongside Clements in a group of four tied for 11^th.

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