Scottie Scheffler with a 68 builds a two-shot lead over Sam Burns and Sungjae Im in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler settled in after a rough start Saturday for a 2-under 68, giving him a two-shot lead over Sam Burns and Sungjae Im in the FedEx St. Jude Championship going into a final round where so much is at stake from the top to the bottom of the leaderboard.

Scheffler is trying to break a streak of five runner-up finishes and five other top 4s since his lone victory this year in his first tournament of 2026.

He was at 13-under 197 and will be in the final group with Burns, his closest friend in golf, who got back into the mix with a 62. His year has been marked by close calls in the U.S. Open and British Open, but Burns has no victories to show for it.

This will be the first time they are paired together in the final group.

“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. "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 competition like normal.

“It will be fun being out there with your friend but it’s also a bit weird at the same time.”

And it's not just the two of them. Im shot 67 and was tied with Burns at 11-under 199. The next closest to Scheffler was FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood (68) and Jake Knapp (67), both five shots behind.

Jordan Spieth took another step back and gave himself another Sunday at the TPC Southwind filled with high stress. Spieth is at No. 54 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 50 advance to the BMW Championship next week in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The top 50 is the magic number this week because those players are assured to getting into all the $20 million signature events next year. Spieth, who opened with a 65, didn't make a birdie until the 11th hole in his round of 72 that dropped him from a tie for fifth to a tie for 19th, which is projected to leave him out of the top 50.

He's not alone. Brian Harman came in at No. 65 and shot 69. He was in a tie for sixth, needing to move up a few spots to advance.

“That signature series, it's where you want to be,” Harman said. “It's where the best golf is played. I'd love to have a chance.”

He at least is in all the majors next year from his 2023 British Open victory at Hoylake.

Going into the final day, Im is the only player projected to move into the top 50 — he started at No. 53 and held his own in the final group Saturday with Scheffler.

“I just want to focus on each shot,” Im said. “Every shot matters.”

Scheffler only hit one green in regulation through the opening five holes. He was in the right rough on the par-5 third and had a clean enough lie to try to reach the green or at least advance it close. But it hit a tree right above him and dropped straight down. He pulled his short iron out of mangled rough to the side of a bunker and still had 111 yards. He hit that to 12 feet and made the par putt.

He bogeyed the next from behind the green, didn't get a birdie until the par-3 eighth and then ran off consecutive birdies early on the back nine that restored his lead. He also made a 12-foot par save on the 15th hole.

“Any time you’re holing those 10- to 15-footers, it’s really nice to keep the round going,” Scheffler said. “I holed a few of those today. It was definitely important to keep the momentum in the round.”

The heat index topped 100 degrees, and towels soaked in ice water were available on every tee. Keith Mitchell looked utterly exhausted walking out of scoring, from the heat and from the stress of projections that keep him right at No. 49 with one round remaining.

He was tied for 22nd, along with Maverick McNealy, who was projected at No. 50.

Burns is thinking only about winning, and that starts with making up a two-shot deficit on the No. 1 player in the world. The only other time they've played together on a Sunday was the 2021 Tour Championship — both out of contention — though Burns did beat Scheffler with a long birdie putt in a playoff at Colonial in 2022.

“Scottie is obviously playing great, as he always does. He’s not going to lay down,” Burns said. “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.”

See AP’s full golf coverage here

Jordan Spieth watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Sungjae Im, of South Korea, uses an ice pack to keep cool during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Sam Burns hits from the rough on the 17th hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Scottie Scheffler chips onto the second green during the third round of the St. Jude Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Fields completed all four of his passes in his first quarter as the backup to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, then watched as rookie Ty Simpson led the Los Angeles Rams to a comeback 20-12 preseason win over Kansas City on Saturday.

The Chiefs signed Fields, a former first-round pick of the Bears, to serve as their veteran backup in part because they were unsure whether Mahomes would be ready for Week 1 after reconstructive knee surgery. But the two-time MVP has been ahead of schedule throughout his rehab and the Chiefs are optimistic Mahomes will be on the field to face Denver in a few weeks.

The only time Mahomes got on the field Saturday was the coin toss. He was one of the captains, even though he was never playing.

Rams backup Stetson Bennett was 4 of 6 for 38 yards in his lone quarter before giving way to Simpson, their first-round draft pick out of Alabama. He was 21 of 25 for 190 yards with a pair of TD passes to Dean Connors against fourth-stringers in the fourth quarter.

Seventh-round pick Garrett Nussmeier played most of the way for Kansas City, going 13 of 19 for 98 yards.

There were some intriguing — or at least, funny — moments in a game played almost entirely by backups.

Take the Chiefs' three-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who said quite pointedly earlier this week: “I don't want to play in the preseason.” Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo responded by making him play a single snap: the first.

Rams coach Sean McVay had no interest in playing his starters even that much. His initial group on defense was made up not of first- or second-teamers but third-teamers trying to play their way onto the roster of a Super Bowl contender.

As for Chiefs coach Andy Reid, he at least took the game seriously enough to challenge an incompletion call. Reid won, too, when the replay showed that tight end Jared Wiley had made a spectacular toe-tapping grab along Los Angeles' sideline.

The Chiefs' home was back to its usual configuration after lower rows on the visiting side and an upper section of seats on the home side were removed for the World Cup. The stadium hosted six matches over the summer, including a quarterfinal.

The stadium also returned to its old name — Arrowhead Stadium — after it had been known as GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Rams offensive tackle Keagen Trost, their third-round pick out of nearby Missouri, hurt his hamstring in the first quarter. He's listed as the backup to right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. on the two-deep, but started against the Chiefs.

Rams: Host New Orleans next Saturday.

Chiefs: Visit Tampa Bay next Saturday night.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson runs against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is tackled by the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson passes against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields plays against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)