ATLANTA (AP) — Scottie Scheffler capped off the largest 12 months in golf in practically twenty years by successful the game’s greatest prize.

Challenged briefly Sunday within the Tour Championship, Scheffler responded with three straight birdies to make successful look as inevitable because it has appeared all 12 months. He closed with a 4-under 67 for a four-shot victory over Collin Morikawa to seize the FedEx Cup and its $25 million prize, the richest in golf.

That pushed his season earnings, together with bonuses, to only below $62.3 million.

It was the best 12 months since Tiger Woods gained eight occasions in 2006, together with six in a row and two majors, all whereas coping with the loss of life of his father. Scheffler’s eight wins included the Masters, The Gamers Championship, an Olympic gold medal and the Tour Championship that enabled him to lastly declare the FedEx Cup.

His seven PGA Tour titles are essentially the most since Woods in 2007.

“We’ll look again on 2024 and it’s clearly among the finest particular person years {that a} participant has had for a very long time,” Rory McIlroy mentioned.

Scheffler took the drama out of the ultimate hour — 4 of his wins this 12 months had been by three photographs or extra — and finally let out a “WOOO!!” as he stepped inside to signal his card. He hoisted two massive trophies, the silver FedEx Cup and his 4-month-old son, Bennett.

The beginning of his first little one, his weird arrest in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier than the second spherical of the PGA Championship, one other Masters inexperienced jacket, Olympic gold. This was one season not quickly to be forgotten by Scheffler or every other golf fan.

“It is a difficult week,” Scheffler mentioned on the trophy ceremony. “I’m exhausted proper now.”

This was the third straight 12 months Scheffler got here to East Lake as the highest seed, that means he began the event at 10-under par with a two-shot lead. Two years in the past, he misplaced a six-shot lead within the ultimate spherical to McIlroy.

Scheffler led by at the very least 5 photographs after every spherical. However there was a harrowing second as storm clouds started to threaten. He made two straight bogeys, the second on a pure shank from a bunker on the reachable par-4 eighth gap. Morikawa made birdie, and the seven-shot deficit he confronted after two holes was right down to a mere two photographs with 10 holes to play.

After which it was over.

Scheffler hit 4-iron to five toes on the par-3 ninth for birdie. He hit wedge to three toes on No. 10 for birdie, after which swirled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eleventh.

“He’s not going to only beginning making bogeys after that,” Morikawa mentioned of the Scheffler shank. “He’s going to do the alternative and he’s going to begin hitting golf photographs. It nearly introduced his focus again in for a half second, and that’s one thing you may’t educate.”

Identical to that, his lead was again to 5 photographs. And when he holed a 15-foot eagle putt on the 14th gap, it was a matter of attending to the end line.

Scheffler referred to the FedEx Cup as a season-long race being “foolish” as a result of the whole lot got here right down to the ultimate week at East Lake. There was no doubting the FedEx Cup obtained a most acceptable champion.

Scheffler solely completed out of the highest 10 3 times in his 19 begins. He had a pair of runner-up finishes to go together with seven PGA Tour titles.

“He’s the man to beat each single week,” Justin Thomas mentioned. “I don’t suppose folks perceive how laborious that’s to do, whenever you’re anticipated to win, whenever you’re the favourite to win, when each single factor you’re doing is being checked out — good and unhealthy — on the golf course, and the way laborious it’s to get in your individual little zone and personal little world and really simply quiet the noise.”

Morikawa, the No. 7 seed who began the event six photographs behind, closed with a 66 and had the bottom rating of the Tour Championship at 22-under 262. He gained $12.5 million for ending second within the FedEx Cup.

“Six photographs behind was laborious towards the very best participant on the planet,” Morikawa mentioned. “I attempted.”

Sahith Theegala, who known as a two-shot penalty on himself Saturday for presumably brushing a small quantity of sand on a bunker shot, closed with a 64 and completed third. He completed two photographs behind Morikawa and earned a $7.5 million bonus for third place.

Adam Scott, who tied for fourth, turned professional throughout the peak of Woods in 2000 and didn’t shrink back from the comparisons Scheffler has created due to his constant stage of contending.

“I believe it’s on par with these nice years of Tiger’s,” Scott mentioned. “I believe it’s very laborious as we speak for anybody to separate themselves as a lot as Scottie has. I don’t suppose we’ve seen that in a very long time. I believe it’s tougher to do it as we speak.”

And to suppose it was simply over 5 months in the past when Scheffler was questioned about his placing, and he was developing on a full 12 months since his final PGA Tour title (he gained the unofficial Hero World Problem within the Bahamas).

His season earnings of $29,228,356 represented about 9.2% of the whole purse from tournaments he performed. Woods gained about 11.6% of the whole prize cash in tournaments he performed throughout 2000, nonetheless thought to be one of many nice seasons ever.

The $25 million FedEx Cup prize is unofficial, as is the $8 million he obtained from the “Comcast Enterprise High 10” for main the common season.

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