Caddie replacement for Scottie Scheffler during the last round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship: The reason why.
In an unexpected turn of events, Brad Payne, a close friend and mentor to PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler, will be taking over as Scheffler's caddie for the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Payne, who serves as a chaplain to PGA Tour players through his role with the College Golf Fellowship, has a rich history in golf. He played collegiate golf at Pepperdine, where he had three top three finishes in the West Coast Conference Men's Golf Championship from 1989-1991.
Payne has caddied for several players on the PGA Tour, but his most notable stint has been as an occasional fill-in for Scheffler. This relationship began during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, where Payne stepped in when Scott's daughter was graduating.
More recently, in August 2025, Payne again stepped in during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship after Ted Scott had to leave due to a family emergency. Payne’s experience with Scheffler has been brief and situational rather than a permanent caddie role. After Payne filled in, Scheffler moved on to use another stand-in caddie, Michael Cromie, for the BMW Championship that followed.
As the final round approaches, Scheffler finds himself two shots behind the current leader, Tommy Fleetwood, who is at 14-under-par. Despite the slight deficit, Scheffler remains the favourite to win, given his impressive form this season.
However, the absence of Scheffler's regular caddie, Ted Scott, may have an impact on the outcome. Scott left for Louisiana on Saturday night due to a family emergency, forcing Payne to step in once more. The reason for Scott's absence remains unclear.
Regardless of the circumstances, it's clear that Brad Payne's support and expertise will be invaluable to Scheffler as he aims to secure another victory.
[1] [Source for the information about Brad Payne's caddying history] [2] [Source for the information about Brad Payne's caddying for Scottie Scheffler]
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