Scheffler Claims First FedEx Cup Title

September 1, 2024

By Carter Rennyson

Scottie Scheffler fired a final-round 67 to maintain his five-shot lead and claim the Tour Championship. This victory marks Scheffler’s seventh of the season, the most in a single season since Tiger Woods in 2007. With today’s win, he also secured the $25 million top prize and lowered his scoring average to an even 68, setting a single-season PGA Tour record. This was one of the greatest single seasons in golf history, and Scheffler, still just 28 years old, has many great years ahead.

This was the third consecutive year Scheffler entered the Tour Championship at the top of the FedEx Cup standings, but in the previous two years, he had been unable to capitalize on his lead. Collin Morikawa got within two shots of Scheffler before the move to the back nine, and it looked like it was going to be a close battle down the stretch. But Scheffler quickly rattled off three straight birdies and added an eagle on the 14th to solidify his victory.

Morikawa finished in solo second place, his seventh top-five finish of the season. However, he could not get into the winner’s circle this season. Next year, look for Morikawa to get back to his winning ways and perhaps pick up another major championship.

Sahith Theegala shot a final-round 64 to finish in third place. Theegala called a two-shot penalty on himself yesterday after accidentally moving some sand from behind his ball. The move was praised for its sportsmanship, as there was little video evidence of sand being displaced on the TV broadcast. Nevertheless, Theegala managed to keep his composure and played magnificent golf over the last two rounds. He will be an important piece of the Presidents Cup team at the end of this month.

Scheffler was finally able to claim the FedEx Cup title, one of the major trophies missing from his collection at the beginning of this season. Now, Scheffler will look to add more major championships to his résumé. The major championship host sites in order are Augusta National, Quail Hollow, Oakmont, and Royal Portrush. Expect Scheffler to be the favorite entering each of those tournaments.

As the 2024 PGA Tour season comes to an end, it is remarkable to think that it has been over a year and three months since the PGA Tour “merged” with LIV Golf. The ongoing negotiations have seen little to no updates, and the longer they continue, the less likely it seems the two sides will come together. Golf fans everywhere want to see Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Jon Rahm return to play in PGA Tour events. The major championships are prime examples that when all of the world’s best players compete against each other, exciting finishes and sensational highlights are the result. It is time for the two sides to come together so we can look forward to every tournament, rather than just four per year.

Team USA will travel to Royal Montreal to face off against the International Team (players not from Europe) in the Presidents Cup. The six automatic qualifiers for Team USA are Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, and Sahith Theegala. The International Team features Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, Jason Day, and Byeong-hun An. The six captain's picks for each squad will be announced on September 3 by U.S. captain Jim Furyk and International captain Mike Weir. The Presidents Cup begins on Thursday, September 26.