Scottie Scheffler Overcomes Four-Stroke Deficit To Clinch Fifth Season Win Ahead Of Tour Championship

The World No.1 carded a closing round of 67 to defeat Robert MacIntyre by two strokes and land the BMW Championship title at Caves Valley Golf Club

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Scottie Scheffler celebrates chipping in on the 17th hole of the BMW Championship final round

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Scottie Scheffler recovered from four strokes behind to win the 2025 BMW Championship by two on Sunday.

The World No.1 trailed Robert MacIntyre through 54 holes of the second FedEx Cup Playoffs event but roared past the Scot following a closing round of 67 (-3) and a poor day by the left-hander.

While MacIntyre bogeyed his first two holes and then his fifth, Scheffler birdied the first and fifth - although he did drop a shot at the third. Yet, another gain at the seventh helped Scheffler hit the front - a position from which he scarcely looked back.

The runaway FedEx Cup leader traded birdies and bogeys twice down the back nine in consecutive holes, but with MacIntyre failing to generate any kind of positive momentum and only ever moving as close as one stroke, Scheffler's lead remained in tact prior to a moment of magic on 17 which iced the tournament.

From the rough through the back of the par-3 17th, Scheffler trickled a chip down the slope and watched it track towards the hole before dropping in for birdie, greeted by rapturous cheers from the surrounding galleries.

Unable to match his playing partner, MacIntyre was helpless thereafter as Scheffler sealed his fifth PGA Tour win of the year with the minimum of fuss.

Another $3.6 million winner's check was added to by a $5 million bonus prize for leading the FedEx Cup standings through the second round of the Playoffs. Scheffler will not gain any advantage at next week's Tour Championship, however, after starting strokes were removed.

Therefore, anyone in the field of 30 players who move forward have an equal chance of landing the $10 million first-place prize.

That includes Akshay Bhatia after the left-hander made it through to East Lake in 30th position. Michael Kim finished solo 10th at the BMW Championship and had a birdie putt at the last to qualify, but his failure helped Bhatia retain the last place.

Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick were among the big names to narrowly miss out on the Tour Championship despite the American ending in a share of seventh. It could and should have been an even better week for the man who is known for his Sunday orange, but four dropped shots in the space of four holes down the back nine cost him dear.

However, arguably the biggest name who will not be in attendance at East Lake next week is Xander Schauffele. The two-time Major winner confirmed his spot on the US Ryder Cup team after the BMW Championship but will not play the Tour Championship for the first time in his career following another disappointing performance of late, ending T31st at Caves Valley and languishing in 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings.

The biggest upwards mover of the week was England's Harry Hall, who may have kept his chances of qualifying for Team Europe alive via a solo-sixth result. Hall moved up from 45th to 26th thanks to the increased points on offer at Caves Valley and has earned another chance to show Luke Donald what he is capable of.

BMW CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD

  • -15 Scottie Scheffler (67)
  • -13 Robert MacIntyre (73)
  • -11 Maverick McNealy (66)
  • -10 Sam Burns (68)
  • -10 Tommy Fleetwood (67)
  • -8 Harry Hall (70)
  • -7 Ludvig Aberg (73)
  • -7 Viktor Hovland (69)
  • -7 Rickie Fowler (69)
  • -6 Michael Kim (70)

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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER WINS 2025 BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

Scheffler two-putts from 25 feet to close it out and lift the BMW Championship. That's his fifth PGA Tour win of the season, his 18th victory.

He is the first player since Tiger Woods in 06-07 to win five times over consecutive seasons. Congratulations to Scottie once again!

MACINTYRE FINISHES SECOND

A closing par writes off a tough 73 for MacIntyre, who finishes on unlucky 13-under-par.

FAIRWAYS AND GREENS

This is a procession now. Scheffler knows the job is done. He finds the centre of the fairway and then the left front corner of the green. Two putts form there and it will be win number five this year. Wonder what took him so long?...

MACINTYRE STUNNED

Off the back of Scheffler's incredible chip-in, MacIntyre makes a decent stab of his own but sees his ball dribble several feet past. The Scot tidies up for par, though, and will walk to the next wondering where it all went so wrong today.

HALL MAKES TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

England's Harry Hall started the week with dreams of making the Ryder Cup and 45th in the FedEx Cup standings. Those dreams could be realized now after a solo-seventh finish at the BMW Championship which has catapulted him into 27th on the season's standings.

GENIUS

That is stupidly good. What can you say about Scottie Scheffler anymore? Both players in the final group send their tee shots through the back of the par-3 17th, but Scheffler goes first and shows why he is the best golfer in the world.

Chipping out of the rough, he trickles his golf ball down the slope and watches it feed towards the hole before trickling in at deadweight. Think Tiger Woods at Augusta. The roar when it dropped was ear-splitting. Incredible.

BURNS BLOWS HIS CHANCE

What did I just say about that 17th? Burns went long with his tee shot and was clumsy with his chip down the slope. Putting from 15 feet away or more and in the fringe, Burns came up short with his par putt and has dropped another shot. He's now three back with just the 18th to play. That's very likely that for the American.

LUCKY 13-UNDER

MacIntyre finally secures the first birdie of his final round, at the 16th hole. There's one stroke in it now going to an extremely tough par-3 hole.

FIRST GAIN INCOMING

MacIntyre plays the 16th very nicely, finding the fairway and then sending his hybrid approach just through the back. A delicate chip towards the flag has left MacIntyre with a short birdie try as Scheffler - who has gone cross country down the par-5 hole - is in for par.

BURNS TO WITHIN TWO

One of the best putters on tour relies on the flat stick once again to move level with MacIntyre at the 16th. A comfortable birdie takes Burns to 12-under with the par-3 17th to come.

CALL DR CHIPINSKI

Harry Hall has just made a clumsy bogey at the par-5 16th, but how is this for a recovery from the Englishman? Having gone through the back of the par-3 17th, he opens up a wedge and sends his ball into orbit, making it land softly on the surface and trickling down the slope before dropping. The crowd went wild as soon as it fell in. It was almost Ryder Cup level of noise...

SCHEFFLER EXTENDS

The World No.1 is in that position because of, in part, his ability to bounce back immediately from the rare errors he makes. Scheffler does exactly that after the bogey at 14 with a birdie at 15 and the lead is back to two strokes.

NO CIGAR

MacIntyre still hasn't made a birdie through 15 holes of his final round after missing low from eight feet. No matter what has happened before, a four or five-over final round usually isn't going to get it done.

SCHEFFLER RECOVERS

MacIntyre sends a lovely approach into the 15th and has inside 10 feet left for birdie. The Scot is rightly pleased with himself.

But any smile may have quickly vanished after Scheffler sends his ball to an identical distance out of a right fairway bunker via a perfect lie.

CHANGING TIDES

Does MacIntyre sense a change in the winds here? He positively bounces to the 15th tee and thumps his drive down the middle. Perfect.

Potentially rocked by what just occurred, Scheffler pushes his tee shot into the right rough.

SHOCK

Oh my goodness me. Scottie Scheffler missed his birdie try from 17 feet. That was marginally surprising.

But what is genuinely shocking is the fact Scheffler then missed his return attempt for par from two feet! Scheffler's three-putt bogey almost missed as well from three feet, but he survives (just about) and the lead is now only one. Surely MacIntyre must start believing now? This has just become really tight all of a sudden.

NO REPEAT FOR MACINTYRE

The 14th green is where MacIntyre shushed a fan on Saturday after making a superb putt, but there will be no repeat today after the left-hander dribbles his putt just to the right of target.

A few positions behind, Tommy Fleetwood taps in for birdie and reaches 10-under.

ON THE BUBBLE

With holes running out, Rickie Fowler and Akshay Bhatia are among those outside of the top-30. Fowler is T8th currently but has dropped four strokes in his past four holes. He doesn't look like he's going to take one back at the par-5 16th, either after running his chip through the back.

Fowler fails with his birdie try and must settle for a birdie. That could be his Tour Championship race run...

RECOVERY FROM ROBERT

From the right fairway bunker and with 186 yards to go at the 14th, MacIntyre drives one onto the putting surface - hole-high. He still has 30 feet, but it's a chance to generate some positive momentum.

In response, Scheffler leaves his approach 15 feet underneath the hole from the centre of the fairway. It can look like such an easy game for the World No.1.

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the BMW Championship closing stages at Caves Valley Golf Club. Robert MacIntyre held a four-stroke lead to start the day but has suffered a catastrophic afternoon in Maryland, handing the initiative to Scottie Scheffler, who currently leads by two.

We will bring you all of the key moments until a champion is crowned, including updates from the bubble in the FedEx Cup standings as those at risk try to make the top-30 and therefore the Tour Championship next weekend.

Thanks for tuning in!