Comparisons with Tiger Woods not often stand a lot scrutiny, however Scottie Scheffler’s imperious march to FedExCup glory passes muster in each division.
The world primary has received eight instances in 2024 – seven tour occasions and Olympic gold – to face head and shoulders above the remaining.
Seven clear after a two-shot swing in his favour on the primary gap at East Lake on Sunday, he noticed his lead shrink to 2 over Collin Morikawa when he shanked a greenside bunker shot on the eighth and made a bogey.
His response summed up his yr completely – three birdies in a row from the ninth, adopted by an eagle three on the 14th to card a four-under 67 to beat Morikawa by 4 strokes and declare his first FedExCup.
He’s the primary man to win seven instances in a season – eight should you embrace his Paris – since Woods in 2007.
“I believe it’s on par with these nice years of Tiger’s,” mentioned veteran Adam Scott. “I believe it’s totally arduous as we speak for anybody to separate themselves as a lot as Scottie has. I do not suppose we have seen that in a very long time. I believe it is tougher to do it as we speak.”
When Rory McIlroy prompt that Scheffler would possibly profit from a swap to a mallet putter, and the outcomes instantly adopted, few thanked the Holywood star for turning the Texan right into a successful machine.
He made the swap in March and received the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Gamers Championship, the Masters, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial, the Vacationers, and Olympic gold earlier than successful at East Lake on Sunday, although he was technically behind Morikawa and Sahith Theegala within the non-starting strokes occasion so far as the Official World Golf Rating is anxious.
“I made lots of putts this yr once I actually wanted to,” Scheffler mentioned on Sunday night time. “I consider the putt to win Memorial, I consider a number of the putts I revamped the week on the Gamers and the putts I made on the again 9 Sunday on the Olympics.
“I made some putts this yr once I actually wanted to, and that is why I am sitting right here with lots of wins as an alternative of some.”
After blowing a six-shot final-round result in lose the FedExCup to McIlroy in 2022, he confronted a disaster second after that shank on the eighth. Nonetheless, he responded with the psychological power of a real champion, rifling a 4 iron to the ft on the ninth to begin a birdie hat trick.
“He is the man to beat each single week,” mentioned Justin Thomas.
“I do not suppose individuals perceive how arduous that’s to do, while you’re anticipated to win, while you’re the favorite to win when each single factor you are doing is being checked out, good and unhealthy, on the golf course, and the way arduous it’s to get in your individual little zone and personal little world and really simply quiet the noise.
“It is one thing that’s simply as a lot of a ability as with the ability to hit a driver within the fairway or an iron on-line. He is clearly figured that out very nicely.”
England’s Aaron Rai and McIlroy consider Scheffler’s angle units him aside, however a sport with just about no weaknesses.
“His greatest power is his outlook and his perspective on life,” Rai mentioned. “To have the ability to preserve that degree of golf underneath the stress of being world primary and the eye that surrounds him each week and to have the ability to play his finest golf at primary reveals a special dimension to his sport.”
McIlroy concurred.
“Yeah, I believe his consistency, his angle,” McIlroy mentioned. “I really feel like he simply brings the identical manner to the course each single day, it doesn’t matter what place on the leaderboard he is in.
“He is simply wonderful to only watch the way in which he manages himself across the golf course. We’ll look again on 2024, and it is clearly top-of-the-line particular person years {that a} participant has had for a very long time.”
World quantity two Schauffele, the PGA and Open champion who ended up tied for fourth on Sunday, believes he’s essentially the most dominant world primary he’s seen since turning professional.
“I believe by the definition of dominance, I believe that is actually the place he is sitting,” Schauffele mentioned.
“I do not know what number of weeks he is been the primary participant on the planet.
“Since I have been out, I believe Dustin had a run, Brooks (Koepka) had a run, Jon (Rahm) had a run, Rory had a run.
“However they had been form of punching backwards and forwards between 1, 2 and three. Scottie has simply been on the tip-top of the mountain for, what, two full years now it appears.”
Scheffler was noticeably irritable as he completed thirty third within the BMW Championship in Denver the week earlier than Atlanta. Nonetheless, he had the psychological power to shut the deal in Atlanta and finish any debate over who will likely be voted Participant of the 12 months.
“So this week my objective to begin the week was simply to have the precise angle and use what I really feel like is my finest power, and that is my thoughts,” he mentioned.
“That is what (caddie) Teddy (Scott) jogged my memory of at first of the week, and that was actually simply the factor that I targeted on essentially the most was simply staying in it mentally, and it paid off.”
