Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler are among those just trying to reach the finish line

ATLANTA – Therapy tables crowd the normally spacious locker rooms at East Lake Golf Club, and the recovery and cryotherapy chambers are a popular hangout for players trying to make it through the final four rounds of the FedExCup season.

The PGA Tour's compressed schedule – which included the Open, the Olympics and three playoff events in seven weeks – has demanded a lot from the game's best players. After winning the playoff opener in Memphis, Hideki Matsuyama retired from last week's BMW Championship with a lower back injury and world number one Scottie Scheffler appeared to have strained his back in Colorado last week, although he said after his opening round it was nothing serious.

“I think everyone is dealing with something different at the end of the year. It's been a long season. Especially now with the new schedule, it's really a sprint to get here,” Scheffler said.

The expansion of this year's key events resulted in a schedule that left little time for rest and recovery.

“There's really no time for long breaks in the schedule. At the beginning of the year you warm up, so to speak, even though you really have to be ready to go at the beginning of the year,” said Scheffler. “Then in March you have the Players, in April the Masters, in May the PGA, in June the US Open, in July the Open Championship and then come the Olympics and the FedExCup playoffs.”

Xander Schauffele, the start the week two strokes behind Scheffler in the starting strokes format, said he had a hard time keeping his “bucket” full in the final stages, and he made his thoughts clear when asked about his “desire to play overseas” in the fall.

“It sounds terrible right now. It sounds terrible right now,” Schauffele said. “My brother's bachelor party next week sounds terrible too. I'm at a point where I'm trying to get over the finish line and play really good golf so I can have fun.”