.Sign Schlabach, ESPN Elder WriterSep 1, 2024, 08:12 PM ETCloseSenior university regulation football writer.Author of seven books on college football.Graduate of the Educational Institution of GeorgiaATLANTA-- For a quick moment in the last round of the Excursion Championship at East Pond Golf Club on Sunday, globe No. 1 golf enthusiast Scottie Scheffler looked like among us.With the FedEx Cup as well as a tremendous $25 million incentive on the line, Scheffler had actually just carded a bogey on the par-4 seventh gap. He terribly hooked his tee bullet to the left, and also his ball nearly headed out of bounds before clearing up in yearn straw.Scheffler needed to stand in a tree to strike his 2nd discharge, then his 4 1/2- feet par putt lipped out-- his only miss out on inside 8 feets in 72 holes. Collin Morikawa made the same level, reducing Scheffler's lead to four shots.It will get even much smaller on the next hole.On the driveable par-4 eighth, Scheffler's tee shot came up short, touchdown in a main greenside bunker, about 80 feet coming from the hole.Somehow, the greatest golfer on the planet shanked his bunker shot-- his round went lifeless right as well as quit about 36 gardens listed below solitary confinement. Scheffler damaged to 24 feets as well as needed to have pair of putts coming from there for an additional bogey-- his third in four holes.Morikawa created an 8-foot birdie, cutting Scheffler's cause merely 2. It had actually been 7 after two openings." Yeah, truthfully, very unexpected," Morikawa claimed of Scheffler's shank. "Appear, I brought in the putt and was two back, but he is actually certainly not going to merely begin bring in bogeys afterwards. He's going to perform the contrary and he is actually mosting likely to begin attacking golf tries. It just about took his emphasis back in for a half 2nd, and also's something you can not teach. You just either have it or even you don't." Scottie Scheffler celebrates along with the FedEx Trophy after winning the FedExCup as well as Scenic Tour Champion. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAfter some of the most awful tries of his occupation, Scheffler did what he has done this usually the past 3 years-- he closed the door on Morikawa and also every person else.He made birdies on each of the upcoming three gaps. On the par-3 nine, he punched a 4-iron try to 5 feet, 2 inches. His method on the par-4 10th quit at 3 feets, then he emptied a 15-footer for birdie on the par-3 11th. Just like that, Scheffler's top was 5 shots once again. He incorporated a bald eagle on the par-5 14th. Editor's Picks2 RelatedScheffler recorded his first FedEx Mug with an overall credit rating of 30 under (he began at 10 under as the season-long points forerunner in the staggered-scoring style), defeating Morikawa by four strokes and Sahith Theegala by six.It was actually the third straight year in which Scheffler began along with a 2-stroke top over every person else in the Tour Championship. Pair of years earlier, he wasted a six-stroke top in the final shot and shed to Rory McIlroy through one. Last year, he was actually 1 under over 72 openings (certainly not featuring beginning movements) as well as matched for 6th." I attempt certainly not to believe a lot of regarding the past or think too much concerning the future, however I think pair of years back was fairly challenging, having an excellent lead going into the final round as well as certainly not playing my finest and afterwards losing, and then in 2015 I merely had a fairly off full week therefore was fairly unsatisfying," Scheffler mentioned. "Therefore ahead in with a top for the third opportunity and also have the ability to finish it off is most definitely fairly wonderful." Scheffler signed up with Leopard Woods (1999 as well as 2007) and Dustin Johnson (2020) as the only golf players to succeed the Tour Champion while they were actually positioned No. 1 in the Authorities World Golf Ranking.With his 1st FedEx Mug playoffs triumph, Scheffler became merely the 4th PGA Excursion golf player due to the fact that 1980 to win a minimum of 7 opportunities with a major in a solitary season. Tom Watson (1980 ), Forest (1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007) and Vijay Singh (2004) were the others.Scheffler obtained a trumpet call from his caddie, Ted Scott, after bogeying for the second successive time on gap No. 8. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesFollowing Scheffler's debacle on the eighth gap, his caddie, Ted Scott, drew him apart for a trumpet call just before his tee try on the ninth." Yeah, nine was actually a massive turn-around," Scheffler mentioned. "Teddy provided me a good pep talk certainly there astride eight green because I type of examined him like, 'Man, I don't understand about this. This isn't looking therefore hot today.' He sort of gave me a little bit of trumpet call, and after that I was able to reach a definitely wonderful iron chance in there as well as got factors rolling." Scheffler declined to reveal what Scott told him." I am actually not heading to distribute all our keys," Scheffler pointed out. "Teddy has regularly been my most significant follower. I presume the results represent themselves after he managed to grab my bag and also begin helping me. He definitely is actually a significant portion of the team. I don't know if I would certainly manage to carry out any one of this without him on my bag. We have actually received a fantastic partnership." He has a behavior of stating the right thing at the right time to sort of maintain me in the right frame of mind." Scheffler's 2024 time will certainly be don't forgotten being one of the greatest in golf past history. Each of his success happened versus elite industries in four signature events (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Memorial Competition and also Travelers Champion), Players Champion, Masters and the Tour Championship.Last month, the 28-year-old from Texas incorporated a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris. Scheffler isn't sure why the Olympics isn't being actually awaited in his success overall by the PGA Tour." I do not believe individuals know exactly how difficult that is to carry out, when you are actually counted on to succeed, when you are actually the favorite to succeed, when each and every single factor you are actually performing is actually being actually considered-- really good and also bad-- on the fairway, and also exactly how challenging it is to get inside your very own little area and also own little bit of globe and definitely only peaceful the sound," said Justin Thomas, who tied for 14th at 14 under." It is actually something that is actually just as much of a capability as managing to strike a chauffeur in the fairway or even an iron on line. He is actually clearly figured that out well." Scheffler's stellar 2024 season consisted of a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games. ( Image through Andrew Redington/Getty Images) Along the road, Scheffler picked up approximately $62.2 million in on-course profits and also season-long bonuses.Even a lot better, Scheffler and also his partner, Meredith, invited their 1st youngster, Bennett, on May 8." I feel like I've lived just about a complete life time in this particular one year," Scheffler mentioned. "It's been almonds." Scheffler's 7 victories can be found in only 19 starts. He was a second best two times and also possessed top-10 finishes in all but three of his beginnings and no missed cuts.Woods' 2000 time is considered some of the greatest in past-- he caught three of his 15 primary championships through 24 tries incorporated and won nine opportunities overall in twenty beginnings. He was actually runner-up 4 opportunities. Leopard succeeded concerning $9.2 million that year.About the only factor that slowed Scheffler down over recent eight-plus months was the Louisville police officer that detained him adhering to a website traffic accident outside evictions of Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky before the 2nd round of the PGA Championship.Top accounts of the full week coming from Acquire unique accessibility to hundreds of fee write-ups a year coming from best writers. u2022 CFB: Week 1 examine along with best 25 video games "u2022 That are X elements for all 32 NFL teams? "u2022 Move market value of this job always keeps rising" Even more ESPN+ content ".Remarkably, Scheffler published a 5-under 66 a number of hrs after he was actually launched from prison. He seemed to be to lose ground on the weekend and also tied for 8th. Louisville prosecutors dropped Scheffler's fees on May 29." I presume his uniformity, his mindset," claimed McIlroy, that tied for 9th at 16 under. "I feel like he only form of delivers the same demeanor to the training program every single time, no matter what placement on the leaderboard he's in. He is actually just incredible to just enjoy the technique he handles himself all around the golf course. Yeah, our company'll look back on 2024 and it is actually clearly among the most ideal specific years that a player has eaten a number of years." Scheffler's victory at East Pond ought to end any type of dispute about that is actually the PGA Excursion gamer of the year. Xander Schauffele possessed an argument after succeeding his very first pair of majors at the PGA Champion as well as The Open.Even Schauffele acknowledges every person else is actually still going after Scheffler." I assume due to the definition of dominance, I think that's practically where he is actually sitting," Schauffele stated. "I do not recognize how many weeks he's been No. 1 gamer around the world. Due to the fact that I've been actually out, I think Dustin had a run, Brooks [Koepka] had an operate, Jon [Rahm] had an operate, Rory possessed a run. They were actually type of punching backward and forward in between 1, 2 and 3. Scottie has actually just gone to the great of the hill for, what, 2 complete years now it seems." Scheffler does not seem to be ready to find down anytime very soon, either.