멤피스 TPC Southwind. 토요일 오전 분위기가 달랐다. 연습 그린 주변에 모인 사람들, 연습장 뒤 관중들, 1번홀을 둘러싼 갤러리들. 이곳의 흥분이 다른 일반 투어와 달랐다. Playoff의 아드레날린과 상위 50인 진출 드라마가 섞인 특별한 에너지.
01셰플러 vs 번스: 우정의 경쟁
세계 랭킹 1위 Scottie Scheffler가 금요일 61타(9언더)를 기록했다. 토너먼트 최저점이다. Sam Burns는 토요일 62타(8언더)로 응했다. 번스는 오전에 30타를 돌려 59타 근처까지 다가갔지만, 10번홀 버디 이후 더 이상의 점수를 내지 못했다.
두 선수는 대학 시절부터 친구다. 이제 최종라운드에서 페어링을 맞게 됐다. 2021 TOUR Championship 이후 최종 페어링에서 만나는 첫 번째 경우다.
그의 성공을 많이 바라기 때문에 좀 이상해. 내일 가서 우리 게임을 하고 어떻게 되는지 보자. 친구와 함께하는 것은 재미있지만 한편으로는 좀 이상하다Scottie Scheffler
번스는 할 일을 안다. Scheffler를 이기려면 최고의 경기를 펼쳐야 한다.
셰플러는 항상 그렇듯이 잘 하고 있다. 내일 최고의 라운드를 해야 따라잡을 수 있을 것 같다Sam Burns
번스는 세계 1위라도 물러서지 않는다. "경쟁자로서 나는 항상 이기고 싶다. 내가 여기 있는 이유이고, PGA 투어의 경쟁을 사랑한다"고 말했다.
02상위 50인 진출: 투어의 진정한 전쟁
일요일 최종라운드에서 벌어질 실제 드라마는 다른 곳에 있다. 상위 50인 진출을 두고 벌어지는 경쟁이다.
상위 50인 버블은 투어에서 가장 중요한 것Maverick McNealy
McNealy는 현재 50위로 경계에 서 있다. 상위 50인 진출의 의미를 설명했다. "상위 50인에 들면 8개의 Signature Event에 출전할 수 있어요. 최고의 선수들(Rory, Scottie, Xander) 상대로 내 스케줄의 3분의 1에서 절반을 경쟁하게 되죠. 그건 정말 멋진 일입니다."
Signature Event 진출이 확보되면 선수들의 스케줄 자유도가 완전히 달라진다. McNealy는 "일요일 한 경기의 결과가 나의 일정 전체를 결정한다"고 했다.
Brian Harman도 비슷한 심정이다. 그는 2023 The Open Championship 우승으로 4대 메이저 전부 진출이 확정됐지만, Signature Event 진출은 일요일에 결정된다. "상위 50인 진출, 상위 30인 진출, 우승 모두를 신경 쓴다. 생각하지 않으려고 해도 생각하게 되는 게 자연스럽다"고 Harman은 말했다.
03Original (English) — PGA TOUR
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One more round before the top 70 gets cut to 50 ...
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Things are percolating here at TPC Southwind. Saturday morning felt different than any day prior, starting with the amount of people huddling around the practice green, standing behind the range and flocking to the first tee.
That atmosphere is part of what makes this week so special for so many, including us in the media center. The Playoffs' adrenaline combined with the FedExCup top-50 drama (more on that below) creates a three-week spectacle of a golf run.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns have carded the two lowest rounds of the tournament thus far, and they'll be joined at the hip for Sunday's finale.
Scheffler reminded everyone why he is the world's best with a blistering 9-under 61 on Friday. Burns flirted with 59 early on Saturday, turning in 30 and making birdie on No. 10, but ultimately stalled out, making just two more birdies. He posted 8-under 62.
The two have been friends for years, dating back to their college days. Now they are paired in a final round for the first time since the 2021 TOUR Championship – only this time in the final pairing.
"It's always a little weird just because I want him to have success so much and I think he wants the same for me," Scheffler said after his round Saturday. "Tomorrow we'll go out there and play our game and see where things finish up at the end of the day. … It will be fun being out there with your friend but it's also a bit weird at the same time."
Burns understands the assignment. Beating Scheffler means bringing his best.
"Scottie is obviously playing great, as he always does," Burns said. "He's not going to lay down. He's going to play great tomorrow. So you're going to have to go out there and put a really good round together and see if you can catch him."
Even against the world No. 1, Burns isn't backing down.
"I think as a competitor, any time you tee it up, no matter what's on the line, no matter what it is, you want to win," Burns said. "That's why I'm here. I love competing, and I love the competition of what the PGA TOUR has."
I asked Scheffler if he and Burns would talk ahead of their final-round pairing.
"I wouldn't say texting is one of my strong suits, so probably not," Scheffler joked.
Same here Scottie, same here.
We caught up with Maverick McNealy on his way to the clubhouse and asked him what's actually riding on Sunday.
His answer: pretty much everything.
"The (top) 50 bubble is about as important as it gets on TOUR," McNealy said.
So get your popcorn ready, kick back and enjoy all the drama unfolding in Memphis.
Brian Harman explained this drama perfectly: "Wherever you are on TOUR, you're on some kind of bubble. You're either trying to make the TOUR Championship or you're trying to make the Presidents Cup or you're trying to make the top 50 or you're trying to keep your card or trying to win for the first time. I think that's what makes our game so great."
Well, what makes the top 50 so important? Let McNealy, ever the Stanford grad, break it down.
"It would give me eight more tournaments against the best players in the world, which is about a third or almost half of my schedule, would be against the best players – Rory, Scottie, Xander," McNealy said. "All the best guys … which would be awesome."
Making it into the top 50 in the FedExCup standings at the end of the week locks up starts in all eight signature events.
"If you're in the Signature Events, you can pick your schedule," McNealy said.
Meaning players, like McNealy, know where they will be week in and week out.
McNealy is the bubble boy at No. 50 in the standings heading into Sunday's final round.
"Those are pretty big things to have on your plate that are determined by one round of golf," McNealy said. "So I'm going to need a good one [Sunday]."
Harman is already locked into all four majors next year thanks to his win at the 2023 The Open Championship. But his status for Signature Events is up in the air and hangs in the balance on Sunday.
"I care a lot about making the top 50," Harman said. "I care a lot about making the top 30. I care a lot about winning. … It's hard not to think about that stuff, but at the same time, you think about it all the time anyways, so you kind of get used to it."
There are certainly levels to this sport, even at the very top, and man, is it humbling for everyone.
