Scottie Scheffler remains firmly in contention at the 2026 Tour Championship after two rounds at East Lake Golf Club. The world No. 1 is 8 under par and tied for fifth, two shots behind co-leaders Viktor Hovland and Ryan Gerard.
Scheffler followed his opening-round 65 with a 3-under 67 on Friday. He overcame an uneven start to remain within striking distance heading into the weekend, with Cameron Young and Ludvig Aberg among the other players near the top of the leaderboard.
The four-time major champion also enters the weekend fully recovered from the hand, foot and mouth disease that affected him during last week’s BMW Championship. He finished tied for 12th at that event despite dealing with painful sores that made gripping the club difficult early in the tournament.
With the Tour Championship now reaching the decisive stages, Scheffler has received a strong assessment from ESPN golf reporter Mark Schlabach. Schlabach believes Scheffler will be difficult to beat if he continues driving the ball well at East Lake.
Mark Schlabach Picks Scottie Scheffler to Win
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During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee asked Schlabach a direct question about the weekend at East Lake.
“Who’s gonna win this weekend,” McAfee asked.
“Scottie,” Schlabach replied.
Schlabach then explained what Scheffler needs to do to turn that prediction into another victory.
“Scottie Scheffler is ripping it right now and he was really good with his irons yesterday,” Schlabach told The Pat McAfee Show. “If he keeps it in the fairway, he’s gonna be tough to beat.”
Scheffler has already shown strong iron play through the first two rounds.
His second round was not flawless. Scheffler missed three of his first five greens but repeatedly recovered to save pars. He then made three birdies during a stretch that helped move him back into red figures.
He added another birdie on the 10th and again on the 12th before finishing with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th.
Scheffler said the main difference between his first two rounds was the number of mistakes on Friday.
“Yesterday I had a clean card. Today I made a few bogeys. That’s pretty much the difference in the score,” Scheffler said.
Scottie Scheffler Stays Close Behind Hovland and Gerard
Scheffler enters Saturday two strokes behind Hovland and Gerard, who share the lead at 10 under.
Hovland, the 2023 FedExCup champion, is seeking another strong finish at East Lake. Gerard has also reached 10 under after two rounds and currently shares the top position.
Justin Rose sits at 7 under, while Matt Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott, Ludvig Åberg and several others remain within range.
Scheffler will play alongside Cameron Young on Saturday. Young produced the lowest round of the second day with a 62 and has moved into contention at 8 under.
Scheffler also has a strong recent record when positioned near the top of PGA Tour leaderboards. He has won seven of his last 10 PGA Tour events when he was inside the top five after 36 holes.
That record adds context to Schlabach’s prediction, although Scheffler still has 36 holes remaining to make up the two-shot deficit.
Ludvig Aberg, who played alongside Scheffler on Friday, also praised the experience of competing with the world No. 1.
“The main thing that I think about when you’re playing with Scottie is you’re going to see a lot of good golf, which definitely helps,” Åberg said. “Any time you play with him, it’s a good thing.”
With Scheffler healthy again and sitting just two shots off the lead, the weekend at East Lake begins with the FedExCup No. 1 firmly in contention.
Scottie Scheffler Handed Strong Verdict Ahead of Tour Championship Weekend