.Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 1, 2024, 08:12 PM ETCloseSenior university football author.Author of seven manuals on university soccer.Grad of the College of GeorgiaATLANTA-- For a quick minute in the last shot of the Scenic tour Championship at East Pond Golf Nightclub on Sunday, world No. 1 golf enthusiast Scottie Scheffler resembled among us.With the FedEx Cup and also an enormous $25 thousand reward on the line, Scheffler had actually only carded a bogey on the par-4 7th hole. He poorly hooked his tee discharge to the left, as well as his sphere nearly headed out of bounds before working out in want straw.Scheffler needed to stand in a tree to attack his second bullet, at that point his 4 1/2- foot the same level putt lipped out-- his only skip inside 8 feet in 72 gaps. Collin Morikawa made par, reducing Scheffler's lead to four shots.It would get even smaller on the following hole.On the driveable par-4 eighth, Scheffler's tee try lost, touchdown in a main greenside bunker, about 80 feet from the hole.Somehow, the most effective golf player on earth shanked his bunker go-- his ball went lifeless right and also ceased around 36 backyards below the hole. Scheffler broke to 24 feet and also needed to have pair of putts from there for an additional bogey-- his 3rd in 4 holes.Morikawa made an 8-foot birdie, trimming down Scheffler's lead to simply two. It had actually been actually seven after 2 holes." Yeah, honestly, really unexpected," Morikawa mentioned of Scheffler's shank. "Appear, I created the putt and also was actually two back, yet he's not going to merely begin creating bogeys after that. He's visiting perform the contrary and he is actually mosting likely to start attacking golf chances. It just about took his focus back in for a half second, and also's one thing you can't educate. You just either possess it or you do not." Scottie Scheffler commemorates with the FedEx Prize after winning the FedExCup as well as Trip Championship. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAfter among the worst shots of his job, Scheffler performed what he has actually done so commonly the past 3 years-- he shut the door on Morikawa and also every person else.He produced birdies on each of the following 3 openings. On the par-3 nine, he smacked a 4-iron chance to 5 shoes, 2 inches. His method on the par-4 10th ceased at 3 feet, then he drained pipes a 15-footer for birdie on the par-3 11th. Easily, Scheffler's top was actually five discharges once more. He incorporated an eagle on the par-5 14th. Editor's Picks2 RelatedScheffler recorded his 1st FedEx Cup along with a complete credit rating of 30 under (he began at 10 under as the season-long points innovator in the staggered-scoring layout), trumping Morikawa through 4 strokes and also Sahith Theegala through six.It was actually the 3rd straight year in which Scheffler began along with a 2-stroke top over everyone else in the Tour Championship. Pair of years back, he squandered a six-stroke top in the last shot and dropped to Rory McIlroy through one. In 2014, he was 1 under over 72 holes (not featuring starting movements) and matched for sixth." I attempt not to presume way too much concerning the past or even believe excessive about the future, however I presume two years back was quite challenging, possessing a great top entering the last cycle and certainly not playing my ideal and after that losing, and then in 2013 I merely had a quite off full week therefore was actually rather unsatisfactory," Scheffler said. "So to find belong a top for the third opportunity as well as have the capacity to finish it off is actually definitely fairly sweet." Scheffler signed up with Leopard Forest (1999 and also 2007) and Dustin Johnson (2020) as the only golf players to gain the Tour Champion while they were positioned No. 1 in the Official Globe Golf Ranking.With his first FedEx Cup playoffs triumph, Scheffler came to be just the fourth PGA Tour golfer because 1980 to win at the very least seven times along with a major in a single time. Tom Watson (1980 ), Woods (1999, 2000, 2006 and also 2007) and also Vijay Singh (2004) were the others.Scheffler got a pep talk coming from his caddie, Ted Scott, after bogeying for the second consecutive opportunity on gap No. 8. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesFollowing Scheffler's ordeal on the 8th gap, his caddie, Ted Scott, took him apart for a pep talk prior to his tee go on the 9th." Yeah, nine was actually a big turn-around," Scheffler claimed. "Teddy gave me a nice trumpet call there astride eight environment-friendly due to the fact that I sort of examined him like, 'Male, I don't know about this. This isn't appearing so hot now.' He kind of gave me a little pep talk, and afterwards I was able to attack a really wonderful iron shot in there and obtained things spinning." Scheffler declined to show what Scott told him." I'm not mosting likely to provide all our tricks," Scheffler stated. "Teddy has actually regularly been my largest follower. I assume the outcomes speak for on their own after he was able to pick up my bag as well as begin aiding me. He really is actually a large aspect of the crew. I do not understand if I will have the ability to carry out any of this without him on my bag. Our experts've got a terrific relationship." He has a practice of stating the ideal factor at the right time to kind of maintain me in the right frame of mind." Scheffler's 2024 time will definitely be kept in mind as being one of the greatest in golf background. Each of his victories came against elite industries in four signature celebrations (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Ancestry, Memorial Tournament and also Travelers Championship), Athletes Champion, Professional and the Tour Championship.Last month, the 28-year-old coming from Texas included a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris. Scheffler isn't certain why the Olympics isn't being actually awaited in his success total amount by the PGA Scenic tour." I do not presume people understand exactly how tough that is to carry out, when you're expected to win, when you are actually the beloved to win, when each and every single thing you are actually doing is being considered-- great and also negative-- on the greens, and just how challenging it is to get in your very own little bit of region and personal little planet and also absolutely simply quiet the sound," stated Justin Thomas, that linked for 14th at 14 under." It is actually something that is actually just as much of a skill as managing to strike a motorist in the golf course or an iron on product line. He's precisely figured that out effectively." Scheffler's stellar 2024 period featured a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games. ( Photograph through Andrew Redington/Getty Images) Along the way, Scheffler picked up about $62.2 thousand in on-course profits as well as season-long bonuses.Even a lot better, Scheffler as well as his better half, Meredith, accepted their initial child, Bennett, on Might 8." I feel like I have actually stayed just about a complete life-time in this particular one year," Scheffler pointed out. "It's been nuts." Scheffler's seven victories was available in simply 19 starts. He was actually a second best two times as well as possessed top-10 surfaces in every yet three of his starts and also no missed out on cuts.Woods' 2000 season is thought about one of the best in record-- he captured three of his 15 major champions through 24 gos blended and gained nine opportunities total in twenty begins. He was actually runner-up four opportunities. Leopard succeeded regarding $9.2 thousand that year.About the only point that slowed down Scheffler down over recent eight-plus months was actually the Louisville police who apprehended him adhering to a visitor traffic happening outside evictions of Valhalla Golf Nightclub in Kentucky prior to the second cycle of the PGA Championship.Top tales of the full week coming from Obtain special accessibility to hundreds of costs posts a year coming from top article writers. u2022 CFB: Week 1 sneak peek with ideal 25 games "u2022 That are X elements for all 32 NFL crews? "u2022 Transfer market value of this particular job keeps increasing" Even more ESPN+ content ".Extremely, Scheffler submitted a 5-under 66 a couple of hours after he was actually released from jail. He seemed to lose ground on the weekend and also connected for 8th. Louisville prosecutors lost Scheffler's costs on May 29." I presume his congruity, his mindset," pointed out McIlroy, who connected for nine at 16 under. "I seem like he only sort of takes the same temperament to the training program every time, no matter what posture on the leaderboard he resides in. He is actually simply amazing to just enjoy the technique he handles themself all around the golf links. Yeah, our company'll look back on 2024 and it is actually certainly one of the very best specific years that a gamer has actually had for a long time." Scheffler's success at East Pond need to end any sort of debate regarding that is actually the PGA Tour gamer of the year. Xander Schauffele had a disagreement after gaining his initial two majors at the PGA Champion and also The Open.Even Schauffele confesses everybody more is actually still going after Scheffler." I assume by the meaning of dominance, I assume that is actually practically where he is actually resting," Schauffele stated. "I don't recognize how many weeks he is actually been actually No. 1 player in the world. Given that I've been out, I think Dustin possessed an operate, Brooks [Koepka] possessed a run, Jon [Rahm] possessed an operate, Rory had a run. They were kind of punching backward and forward in between 1, 2 and also 3. Scottie has merely gone to the first-class of the hill for, what, two total years today it seems to be." Scheffler doesn't seem ready to find down anytime very soon, either.