Scottie Scheffler capped off the biggest year in golf in nearly two decades by winning the biggest prize in golf.
Challenged briefly Sunday in the Tour Championship, Scheffler responded with three straight birdies to make winning look as inevitable as it has seemed all year. He closed with a 4-under 67 for a four-shot victory over Collin Morikawa to capture the FedEx Cup and its $25 million US prize
That pushed his season earnings, including bonuses, to just over $62.3 million.
It was the greatest year since Tiger Woods won eight times in 2006, including six in a row and two majors, all while dealing with the death of his father. Scheffler’s eight wins included the Masters, The Players Championship, an Olympic gold medal and the Tour Championship that enabled him to finally claim the FedEx Cup.
Scottie Scheffler wins the TOUR Championship with a four-shot win over fellow American Collin Morikawa to claim the FedEx Cup and its $25 million prize.
His seven PGA Tour titles are the most since Woods in 2007.
“We’ll look back on 2024 and it’s obviously one of the best individual years that a player has had for a long time,” Rory McIlroy said.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., shoot 5-under 66 on Sunday, finishing the tournament at 14-under and tied for 14th place, 16 shots behind Scheffler.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., shoots 5-under 66 in the final round of the TOUR Championship. Pendrith finishes the tournament at 14-under and tied for 14th place, 16 shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler of the United States.
This was the third straight year Scheffler came to East Lake as the top seed, meaning he started the tournament at 10-under par with a two-shot lead. Two years ago, he lost a six-shot lead in the final round to McIlroy.
Scheffler led by at least five shots after each round. But there was a harrowing moment as storm clouds began to threaten. He made two straight bogeys, the second one on a pure shank from a bunker on the reachable par-4 eighth hole. Morikawa made birdie, and a seven-shot deficit he faced after two holes was down to a mere two shots with 10 holes to play.
And then it was over.
Scheffler hit his tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 ninth for birdie. He hit wedge to 3 feet on No. 10 for birdie, and then swirled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 11th.
Scheffler referred to the FedEx Cup as a season-long race being “silly” because everything came down to the final week at East Lake. There was no doubting the FedEx Cup got a most appropriate champion.
Scheffler only finished out of the top 10 three times in his 19 starts. He had a pair of runner-up finishes to go along with seven PGA Tour titles.
“He’s the guy to beat every single week,” Justin Thomas said. “I don’t think people understand how hard that is to do, when you’re expected to win, when you’re the favourite to win, when every single thing you’re doing is being looked at — good and bad — on the golf course, and how hard it is to get in your own little zone and own little world and truly just quiet the noise.”
Morikawa won $12.5 million for finishing second. Sahith Theegala closed with a 64 and finished third, earning a $7.5 million bonus.
