Scottie Scheffler shoots 71 at BMW despite sore back

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler downplayed any concerns about a back injury after he was seen hunched over following an approach shot on his penultimate hole Thursday at the BMW Championship.

After he hit his second shot on the par-5 17th hole at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado, Scheffler immediately grabbed at his lower back, then briefly leaned on his club before walking up the fairway.

Speaking after his round, a 1-under 71, Scheffler told reporters he woke up with a sore back and had difficulty loosening it up but doesn't envision it being a problem the remainder of the tournament.

"It was hard for me to get through it, and I was laboring most of the day to get through the ball," Scheffler said. "On 17 I was trying to hit a high draw, and that's a shot where I've really got to use a big turn, big motion.

"Maybe I hit a few too many balls yesterday or something. It was just a little sore. I'm sure I'll get some ice on it and stuff, and I'll be totally fine tomorrow."

The top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings after Sunday's final round of the BMW will advance to next week's Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Scheffler, whose jaw-dropping 2024 season has included wins at the Masters and the Players Championship and a gold medal at the Olympics, can remain atop the points standings (and start the Tour Championship with a two-stroke lead over everyone else) if he finishes solo fourth or better this week.