A Masters inexperienced jacket and an Olympic gold medal. A primary-time father and his first time being arrested. A yr Scottie Scheffler received’t overlook ended one of the simplest ways potential Sunday when he received the FedEx Cup to cap off golf’s greatest season in practically twenty years.
“If you happen to can describe it in phrases, extra energy to you,” Scheffler stated after his four-shot victory within the Tour Championship for his eighth win of the yr. “As a result of I don’t assume I can.”
As all the time, his golf equipment spoke volumes.
Scheffler, who led by as many as seven pictures at East Lake early within the closing spherical, practically hit a tee shot out-of-bounds on No. 7 for bogey. He adopted that with a shank from the bunker on the reachable par-4 eighth that led to a different bogey. His lead was down to 2 pictures over Collin Morikawa.
Dealing with the par-3 ninth, a gap that had yielded solely 9 birdies all week, Scheffler hit 4-iron to five toes for the primary of three straight birdies that despatched him to a 4-under 67 and the FedEx Cup trophy with its $25 million prize, the richest in golf.
“All I’m attempting to do is hit shot,” he stated. “This yr, I’ve been ready to do this so much.”
The victory pushed his season earnings, together with bonuses, to only beneath $62.3 million.
It was the best yr since Tiger Woods received eight occasions in 2006, together with six in a row and two majors, all whereas coping with the dying 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 probably 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 stated.
Adam Scott, who tied for fourth within the FedEx Cup, 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 feel it’s on par with these nice years of Tiger’s,” Scott stated. “I feel it’s very onerous at present for anybody to separate themselves as a lot as Scottie has. I don’t assume we’ve seen that in a very long time. I feel it’s more durable to do it at present.”
Scheffler took the drama out of the ultimate hour — 4 of his wins this yr have been by three pictures or extra — and eventually set free a “WOOO!!” as he stepped inside to signal his card. He hoisted two large trophies, the silver FedEx Cup and his 4-month-old son, Bennett.
But it surely was onerous work.
This was the third straight yr Scheffler got here to East Lake as the highest seed, which 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 closing spherical to McIlroy.
He has been PGA Tour participant of the yr the final two seasons, leaving with out the FedEx Cup trophy. “It positively leaves a foul style in your mouth on the finish of the yr,” he stated.
Scheffler was decided for that to not be the case, although it received dicey as storm clouds started to threaten. Most harrowing was the two-shot swing on No. 8, when Morikawa pumped his fist with a birdie as Scheffler’s shank led to a bogey.
After which it was over.
After his birdie on the ninth, Scheffler 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 stated. “He’s going to do the other and he’s going to begin hitting golf pictures. It virtually introduced his focus again in for a half second, and that’s one thing you’ll be able to’t educate.”
Similar to that, his lead was again to 5 pictures. And when he holed a 15-foot eagle putt on the 14th gap, it was a matter of attending to the end line to have fun.
Scheffler solely completed out of the highest 10 3 times in his 19 begins. He had a pair of runner-up finishes to associate with seven PGA Tour titles.
“He’s the man to beat each single week,” Justin Thomas stated. “I don’t assume individuals perceive how onerous that’s to do, while you’re anticipated to win, while 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 onerous it’s to get in your personal little zone and personal little world and actually simply quiet the noise.”
Morikawa, the No. 7 seed who began the event six pictures behind, closed with a 66 and had the bottom rating of the Tour Championship at 22-under 262. He received $12.5 million for ending second within the FedEx Cup.
“Six pictures behind was onerous in opposition to one of the best participant on this planet,” Morikawa stated. “I attempted.”
Sahith Theegala, who referred to as a two-shot penalty on himself Saturday for probably brushing a small quantity of sand on a bunker shot, closed with a 64 and completed third. He completed two pictures behind Morikawa and earned a $7.5 million bonus for third place.
And to assume it was simply over 5 months in the past when Scheffler was questioned about his placing, and he was developing on a full yr since his final PGA Tour title (he received the unofficial Hero World Problem within the Bahamas).
His season earnings of $29,228,356 represented about 9.2% of the $317.4 million complete purse from tournaments he performed. Woods received $10,867,052 in 2007, about 9.7% of $112.5 million in complete prize cash.
Woods received about 11.6% of the overall prize cash in tournaments he performed throughout 2000, nonetheless considered one of many nice seasons ever.
The $25 million FedEx Cup prize is unofficial, as is the $8 million Scheffler obtained from the “Comcast Enterprise Prime 10” for main the common season.
The FedEx Cup trophy felt worthwhile in its personal proper, an ideal finish to an astonishing season.
“It’s been a really eventful yr,” Scheffler stated, “but it surely’s been actually enjoyable.”