Scottie Scheffler or Xander Schauffele? Justin Thomas makes surprise admission on whose 2024 he'd pick
Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler have had phenomenal seasons in 2024, as they made headlines throughout the year and secured Major victories. They are now set to compete at the BMW Championship, starting Thursday, August 22. Recently, Justin Thomas shared his thoughts on who he believes is the best player of 2024 between Schauffele and Scheffler.
During a pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2024 BMW Championship, Thomas was asked to choose between Scottie and Xander, and he selected the latter due to Schauffele's two Major wins this year.
Justin Thomas acknowledged Xander and Scottie's achievements but emphasized that Majors are prestigious golf events. Since Xander Schauffele won two Majors in 2024, Thomas picked him as his favorite.
Discussing his top pick for 2024, Thomas said (via ASAP Sports):
"I've had this conversation with a couple different group texts. It's tough. I think it's very situational of where you are in your career. For me personally, two majors sounds a lot cooler than one. But then again, winning six times, all of which being elevated events and PLAYERS and a gold medal sounds nice, too. Might be better to answer that question if something were to happen the next couple weeks.
"For me personally, I would -- I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I would take Xander's just because of two majors. But yeah, talk about a no-lose situation, those are two pretty good ones,' he added.
Notably, Scottie Scheffler has won six tournaments in 2024, including The Players Championship, the Masters, and other designated events. Additionally, he claimed the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele clinched his maiden Major this year at the 2024 PGA Championship and later secured another victory at the 2024 Open Championship.
Scheffler and Schauffele are currently rank number 1 and 2, respectively, in the Official World Golf Rankings and hold the top two spots in the FedEx Cup standings as they head into the second playoff event this week.
Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele pair up for round 1 of the BMW Championship 2024
The first round of the 2024 BMW Championship is scheduled for Thursday, August 22. The tournament will begin at 9:25 a.m. ET, with Max Homa and Si Woo Kim teeing off together on the first tee. Notably, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are paired for the first round and will tee off at 11:00 a.m. ET. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas will start his round at 12:35 p.m. ET alongside Aaron Rai.
Only the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings are eligible to compete in the 2024 BMW Championship. Initially, the top 70 qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and competed at the St. Jude Championship, but only the top 50 advanced to the BMW Championship. After the conclusion of the 2024 BMW Championship, only the top 30 players will move on to the final event, the Tour Championship, next week.