WASHINGTON (AFP) — World number one Scottie Scheffler crowned his remarkable season by winning the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship and with it the $25 million FedEx Cup title with a four-stroke win at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on Sunday.
Scheffler began the final round with a five-stroke lead over Collin Morikawa but saw that advantage cut to just two after back-to-back bogeys on the 7th and 8th but he recovered to secure his seventh win on the PGA Tour this season.
He is the first player to win seven PGA Tour events in a year since Tiger Woods in 2007 and his remarkable season has also included a Masters win and an Olympic gold.
For the past two years, Scheffler had entered the Tour Championship as number one in the rankings but had failed to close out and clinch the FedEx Cup and having led the standings for most of this year he was delighted to get his reward.
“I try not to think too much about the past or think too much about the future,” he said.
“But I think two years ago was pretty tough, having a good lead going into the last round and not playing my best and then losing. And then last year I just had a pretty off week so was fairly disappointing.
“So to come in with a lead for the third time and be able to finish it off is definitely pretty sweet,” he added.
Scheffler began the week on 10 under-par under the staggered scoring system used for the season finale and he ended the week on 30 under after closing with a 67.
Morikawa would have beaten Scheffler by two strokes in a regular format and for a moment he put his rival under real pressure.
Scheffler shanked a bunker shot on the eighth making his second straight bogey as Morikawa made a birdie to reduce the gap to two.
But as so often Scheffler did not let the setbacks turn into a real momentum shift as he proceeded to make three straight birdies from the ninth and then his eagle on the par-5 15th put Morikawa out of sight.
Scheffler praised his caddie Ted Scott for helping him recover and make sure of the win.
“Nine was a huge turnaround. Teddy gave me a nice pep talk there on the back of the 8 green because I kind of looked at him like, ‘man, I don’t know about this, this isn’t looking so hot right now’.
“He kind of gave me a little pep talk and then I was able to hit a really nice iron shot in there and got things rolling,” he said.
“He really is a huge part of the team. I don’t know if I’d be able to do any of this without him on my bag.”
Morikawa, who collected $12.5 million for his second place, was pleased with his effort but said Scheffler provided the perfect example of how to close out a golf tournament.
“Nothing fazes him. Whether I was close in gaining some ground or he was gaining ground, it didn’t change how he walked or how he played or how he went through every shot,” he said.
“That’s something to learn. I think his mental game is a lot stronger than a lot of people know.
“It’s amazing what he’s been able to do for this entire season, and over this past three years now. It’s been really cool to watch him, and hopefully I can draw something from that,” he said.
Sahith Theegala finished third for a $7.5 million reward, six shots off the lead while Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley and Australian Adam Scott ended tied for fourth on 19-under.
Henley lept into fourth with an eagle on the 18th hole where he chipped in from 36 yards.
