Scottie Scheffler’s caddie has left the FedEx St. Jude Championship due to a family matter – and he will be replaced by a chaplain.
Ted Scott had to ‘unexpectedly’ return home to Dallas from the Memphis-based tournament, according to a report on the PGA Tour website.
And Scott will be replaced for the final round by Brad Payne, who serves as a chaplain to PGA players and is president of the College Golf Fellowship (CGF).
Scheffler and Payne are friends, and the latter also caddied for the world No. 1 at last year’s PGA Championship after Scott departed that tournament.
In that case, Payne stepped in for the third round as Scott flew home for his daughter’s high school graduation.
‘That’s something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship was family always comes first, and it’s the same thing for me as it is for my caddie,’ Scheffler said at the time.
Scottie Scheffler will be without caddie Ted Scott (left) in final round of FedEx St. Jude
Brad Payne also caddied for Scheffler at the PGA Championship last year at Valhalla
‘It was a pretty easy decision. He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date that it was, so I got a backup caddie lined up.’
Scheffler ultimately finished that tournament tied for eighth following his stunning arrest outside the gates of Valhalla. The charges, including a felony charge of assaulting a police officer, were eventually all dropped.
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The CGF describes itself as ‘the only Christian ministry with the specific purpose of building into the lives of college golfers, sharing the hope of Christ with them, and discipling those who have placed their trust in Him.’
Payne was also a golfer himself, having played at Pepperdine University in California.
He has also caddied for other PGA Tour players like Paul Stankowski.
Scott, meanwhile, has caddied for Scheffler since 2021.
Scheffler was 12-under through the first three rounds of the FedEx St. Jude and entered the final day just two strokes behind leader Tommy Fleetwood.
It’s been a tremendous season for Scheffler as he’s won both the PGA Championship and The Open to bring his tally of majors won to four.