At this point, Scottie Scheffler could probably win carrying his own bag, but the world No. 1 will roll into the Tour Championship with his trusted sidekick Ted Scott back on the bag — and that’s bad news for the other 29 guys chasing the FedEx Cup.
The Caddie Carousel That Didn’t Slow Scottie Down
Ted Scott had to step away mid-tournament at the FedEx St. Jude due to a family emergency, then missed the entire BMW Championship. For most players, losing your caddie at crunch time in the playoffs is a nightmare. For Scheffler? Just another week at the office.
He finished T-3 in Memphis with his buddy Brad Payne, a Tour chaplain, stepping in at the last minute. Then at the BMW, Scheffler handed the reins to veteran caddie Michael Cromie — and all he did was storm from four shots back on Sunday to take the title. His first Tour win without Scott.
“Yeah, it was definitely different,” Scheffler admitted. “But Cromie was doing a great job. He’s one of Ted’s good buddies.”
Different bagmen, same outcome: Scheffler winning golf tournaments.
Why Ted Scott Still Matters
Now, let’s be clear — this isn’t just about familiarity. Scheffler has been very vocal about how much Ted Scott elevates his game. The two joined forces after Scott split from Bubba Watson in 2021, and the results speak for themselves: Phoenix, Bay Hill, the Masters — all in a five-start stretch that launched Scheffler into superstardom.
On the Bible Caddie podcast after his 2024 Masters win, Scheffler put it perfectly:
“Teddy pretty much does all the work. I pretty much just stand by the golf bag and do nothing… Most of the time he gives me the numbers adjusted to start, and I kind of like getting the adjusted numbers and then painting a little picture for myself of the shot I want to hit.”
That’s the magic of Ted Scott — he strips away the noise, keeps it simple, and lets Scheffler’s freakish ball-striking take over. It’s not about reading every blade of grass — it’s about giving his guy the space to play free.
Eyes on History
Now, with Scott back at East Lake, Scottie Scheffler enters the finale as the prohibitive favorite to cap one of the greatest PGA Tour seasons we’ve ever seen. He’s already bagged multiple wins, dominated the majors season, and pulled off victories even with substitute caddies.
The truth is with Scott back, Scheffler’s odds just got even scarier.
Everyone else in the 30-man field is fighting for a miracle. Scheffler? He’s got his guy back. And when Ted Scott’s on the bag, history tends to follow.
