.Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterSep 1, 2024, 08:12 PM ETCloseSenior university soccer author.Author of seven manuals on university soccer.Grad of the College of GeorgiaATLANTA-- For a short instant in the last round of the Scenic tour Championship at East Pond Golf Club on Sunday, planet No. 1 golf player Scottie Scheffler looked like among us.With the FedEx Mug as well as a monstrous $25 thousand bonus offer on the line, Scheffler had merely carded a bogey on the par-4 seventh gap. He extremely hooked his tee discharge to the left, as well as his round virtually walked out of bounds prior to clearing up in pine straw.Scheffler must fill in a tree to attack his second shot, then his 4 1/2- foot par putt lipped out-- his only skip inside 8 feets in 72 openings. Collin Morikawa produced the same level, reducing Scheffler's lead to 4 shots.It would certainly even the score smaller on the upcoming hole.On the driveable par-4 eighth, Scheffler's tee try came up short, touchdown in a frontal greenside bunker, about 80 feets from the hole.Somehow, the very best golf player on earth shanked his bunker shot-- his round went lifeless right as well as quit approximately 36 backyards below the hole. Scheffler damaged to 24 feets and needed pair of putts from there for another bogey-- his third in 4 holes.Morikawa created an 8-foot birdie, pruning Scheffler's lead to just two. It had been actually seven after 2 gaps." Yeah, frankly, extremely shocking," Morikawa mentioned of Scheffler's shank. "Look, I made the putt and was pair of back, but he is actually not visiting just begin making bogeys afterwards. He's visiting do the opposite and also he is actually mosting likely to start hitting golf tries. It nearly carried his emphasis back in for a fifty percent 2nd, and also is actually something you can not show. You merely either have it or even you do not." Scottie Scheffler celebrates with the FedEx Trophy after gaining the FedExCup and Tour Champion. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAfter one of the most awful shots of his profession, Scheffler did what he has done so frequently the past 3 years-- he closed the door on Morikawa and everybody else.He created birdies on each of the upcoming 3 openings. On the par-3 nine, he smacked a 4-iron try to 5 feet, 2 ins. His method on the par-4 10th quit at 3 feet, at that point he drained pipes a 15-footer for birdie on the par-3 11th. Easily, Scheffler's top was actually 5 shots once more. He included a bald eagle on the par-5 14th. Editor's Picks2 RelatedScheffler captured his initial FedEx Cup with a total credit rating of 30 under (he began at 10 under as the season-long factors innovator in the staggered-scoring format), trumping Morikawa by four movements and Sahith Theegala by six.It was actually the third straight year in which Scheffler started with a 2-stroke top over everybody else in the Trip Championship. 2 years ago, he squandered a six-stroke top in the ultimate shot and lost to Rory McIlroy through one. In 2014, he was actually 1 under over 72 holes (not including beginning movements) and also matched for 6th." I try not to assume too much concerning recent or even think excessive about the future, however I believe 2 years earlier was actually quite challenging, having a great top going into the final cycle and also not playing my ideal and then shedding, and afterwards last year I just had a rather off week so was relatively disappointing," Scheffler pointed out. "Therefore to come in with a lead for the 3rd opportunity and also have the capacity to finish it off is absolutely rather sweet." Scheffler joined Leopard Woods (1999 and also 2007) and also Dustin Johnson (2020) as the only golf players to gain the Tour Championship while they were actually placed No. 1 in the Official Globe Golf Ranking.With his first FedEx Mug playoffs triumph, Scheffler ended up being just the 4th PGA Excursion golf enthusiast given that 1980 to gain at the very least seven opportunities along with a major in a solitary time. Tom Watson (1980 ), Woods (1999, 2000, 2006 and also 2007) and Vijay Singh (2004) were actually the others.Scheffler obtained a trumpet call from his caddie, Ted Scott, after bogeying for the 2nd successive opportunity on opening No. 8. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesFollowing Scheffler's ordeal on the 8th hole, his caddie, Ted Scott, drew him apart for a trumpet call prior to his tee go on the nine." Yeah, nine was a massive turn-around," Scheffler said. "Teddy gave me a pleasant pep talk certainly there astride eight environment-friendly since I kind of took a look at him like, 'Man, I do not understand about this. This isn't looking therefore warm now.' He kind of offered me a little bit of pep talk, and after that I was able to reach a really pleasant iron shot in there and obtained points rolling." Scheffler dropped to reveal what Scott told him." I'm not visiting give away all our tips," Scheffler pointed out. "Teddy has regularly been my greatest follower. I think the end results represent on their own after he had the capacity to pick up my bag and also begin aiding me. He actually is actually a significant component of the crew. I don't understand if I 'd have the ability to carry out any one of this without him on my bag. Our experts've obtained a wonderful partnership." He has a routine of pointing out the right factor at the right time to sort of maintain me in the right state of mind." Scheffler's 2024 period are going to be actually remembered as being one of the most ideal in golf background. Each of his victories happened against elite fields in 4 signature celebrations (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Remembrance Event and also Travelers Champion), Athletes Champion, Masters and also the Trip Championship.Last month, the 28-year-old from Texas included a gold award at the Olympics in Paris. Scheffler isn't sure why the Olympics isn't being actually awaited in his success total amount due to the PGA Tour." I do not assume folks understand just how hard that is actually to carry out, when you are actually expected to gain, when you're the beloved to succeed, when each and every single factor you're carrying out is being checked out-- excellent and also bad-- on the golf course, and exactly how tough it is actually to get inside your very own little region and also very own little globe and absolutely simply peaceful the sound," pointed out Justin Thomas, who linked for 14th at 14 under." It's something that is equally as a lot of an ability as having the ability to hit a driver in the fairway or an iron on product line. He's precisely figured that out effectively." Scheffler's stellar 2024 time featured a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games. ( Photo through Andrew Redington/Getty Images) Along the way, Scheffler collected approximately $62.2 thousand in on-course revenues and also season-long bonuses.Even much better, Scheffler as well as his spouse, Meredith, welcomed their very first little one, Bennett, on Might 8." I believe that I have actually resided practically a total life-time in this one year," Scheffler stated. "It's been actually nuts." Scheffler's seven triumphes can be found in only 19 begins. He was actually a second best twice as well as had top-10 finishes in all yet three of his starts and also no missed cuts.Woods' 2000 period is actually considered among the best in record-- he caught three of his 15 major championships by 24 gos incorporated and gained nine opportunities general in twenty beginnings. He was runner-up 4 times. Tiger succeeded about $9.2 million that year.About the only thing that slowed down Scheffler down over the past eight-plus months was actually the Louisville policeman that imprisoned him complying with a web traffic event outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky before the 2nd cycle of the PGA Championship.Top stories of the full week from Get unique access to countless costs write-ups a year from leading article writers. u2022 CFB: Full week 1 sneak peek with ideal 25 video games "u2022 Who are actually X variables for all 32 NFL groups? "u2022 Transactions market value of this particular position maintains climbing" Additional ESPN+ information ".Remarkably, Scheffler submitted a 5-under 66 a couple of hrs after he was launched from prison. He appeared to run out of gas on the weekend break as well as linked for eighth. Louisville prosecutors lost Scheffler's fees on May 29." I presume his uniformity, his perspective," claimed McIlroy, that linked for ninth at 16 under. "I believe that he just sort of delivers the exact same temperament to the training program every day, no matter what placement on the leaderboard he's in. He's just incredible to only enjoy the method he handles themself all around the golf course. Yeah, we'll look back on 2024 as well as it is actually certainly among the greatest specific years that a player has eaten a long period of time." Scheffler's success at East Pond need to end any dispute concerning who's the PGA Trip player of the year. Xander Schauffele possessed a disagreement after winning his very first two majors at the PGA Championship and also The Open.Even Schauffele confesses everybody else is still chasing after Scheffler." I presume due to the meaning of dominance, I believe that's actually where he is actually sitting," Schauffele said. "I don't know how many full weeks he is actually been actually No. 1 player on earth. Because I have actually been actually out, I believe Dustin had a run, Brooks [Koepka] possessed an operate, Jon [Rahm] had a run, Rory possessed an operate. They were sort of drilling to and fro in between 1, 2 and 3. Scottie has just been at the good of the mountain range for, what, two total years now it seems to be." Scheffler does not seem prepared to come down anytime quickly, either.