Scottie Scheffler caps historic Tiger Woods season with $25 million FedEx Cup win
World number one Scotty Scheffler was victorious again, this time winning the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup for the first time.
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. Though he has yet to record a hit, he earned a master’s degree in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
ATLANTA — When Tiger Woods famously birdied the 72nd hole at the 2008 U.S. Open to force Rocco Mediate into a playoff the next day, NBC Sports’ Dan Hicks yelled, “Were you expecting anything different?!”
The same could be said about this week’s championship. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler broke the tie and won the match to claim his first FedExCup title and the $25 million that comes with it. He also became the first player since Woods in 2007 to win seven PGA Tour titles in a single season, making the comparison even more obvious. Scheffler’s journey into history began at Bay Hill in March, where he decided to trade in his mallet putter for a Spider after some hiccups with his putting. He won that week and has remained atop the FedEx Cup standings ever since, setting a new PGA Tour record with 25 consecutive weeks. Next week, Sheffler has won the TPC Sawgrass and become the first player. A month later, he won the Masters because he did not make a mistake, but all the other enemies hesitated around him. Scheffler cemented his status as the best player in the world with wins at the RBC Heritage, Memorial and Travelers Championship. But it was his final Olympic round in the under-62 category that will forever be etched in the history books of the sport. It’s certainly one of the most amazing feats in history. He joins Johnny Miller’s 63 at Oakmont in 1973, Tom Watson’s 65 at Turnberry in 1977, Jack Nicklaus’ 65 at Augusta in 1986 and Henrik Stenson’s 63 at Royal Troon. “I don’t really know how to express it in words about this year,” said Sunday.
“I think the gold medal is pretty cool. To hear people yell “U-S-A,” even though it’s been a month since it happened and I still hear people talking about it and chanting it, it’s so cool. Like I said, I’m very proud to be an American, so it was a lot of fun to bring home the gold medal. »
Standing at the podium during the national anthem, Scheffler seemed overcome with emotion, recognizing the importance of representing the country and its place in history.
But since Paris, Scheffler hasn’t been doing so well. He wrestled at FedEx St. Jude in Memphis, but never threatened to win. Scheffler then had a few disappointing days at BMW, including a rare tirade. He finished tied for 33rd place after failing to score a four-day total of 71 points. Nevertheless, he arrived in Atlanta atop the FedEx Cup standings, a position he has held for the past two seasons. The opening-shot format now in place at the Tour Championship put Scheffler at 10 under par and two strokes ahead of Xander Schauffele, who was having a great year, but Scheffler criticized the format, calling it “stupid” for the huge target it poses. His neglect could stem from the 2022 and 2023 seasons, when he was unable to capitalize on the two-shot lead he started with.
But this time, that won’t happen. On Thursday, after Scheffler bogeyed the first hole, he was in total despair. He played the final 17 holes of the first round in 7 under par and opened up a record seven-stroke lead after 18 holes. It was almost over.
“I try not to think too much about the tee shot,” Scheffler said Thursday. “I still find it a little strange that it’s not a traditional event. But yeah, it was good to get off to a good start in the first round, and I feel like I did a lot of things well today.”
He continued to do a lot of things well over the final 54 holes, shooting 66-66-67 on the par 71 course to beat Collin Morikawa by four points. “We did a great job to reach this point. It was a long week,” said the cheffler on Sunday.
“I’m tired now, so I don’t know how to express it in words. But finally holding the trophy feels pretty special.
The FedEx Cup was supposed to be Scheffler’s from the start, but the man still has a knack for entertaining. Whether it’s a spectacular tee-to-green play, a shot at the Louisville Penitentiary or a nine-foot three-putt, Scheffler keeps the golf world on edge.
He did so again on the 7th and 8th holes on Sunday.
On the 7th, Scheffler hit a snap duck-hook that threatened out-of-bounds.