.Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 1, 2024, 08:12 PM ETCloseSenior university regulation football writer.Author of 7 publications on university regulation football.Graduate of the College of GeorgiaATLANTA-- For a brief moment in the ultimate shot of the Tour Championship at East Pond Golf Club on Sunday, planet No. 1 golf player Scottie Scheffler resembled one of us.With the FedEx Cup and also a whopping $25 million bonus on the line, Scheffler had just carded a bogey on the par-4 7th hole. He poorly fastened his tee bullet to the left, and also his round nearly walked out of bounds prior to clearing up in ache straw.Scheffler had to fill in a plant to attack his 2nd bullet, after that his 4 1/2- foot the same level putt lipped out-- his only miss inside 8 feets in 72 openings. Collin Morikawa made par, cutting Scheffler's result in 4 shots.It would get even much smaller on the next hole.On the driveable par-4 eighth, Scheffler's tee go came up short, touchdown in a front greenside bunker, concerning 80 feet coming from the hole.Somehow, the very best golf player on earth shanked his bunker go-- his sphere went lifeless right and also quit around 36 yards below solitary confinement. Scheffler broke to 24 feets and needed two putts from there for one more bogey-- his third in four holes.Morikawa made an 8-foot birdie, trimming Scheffler's cause only two. It had been actually seven after pair of holes." Yeah, in all honesty, very unexpected," Morikawa claimed of Scheffler's shank. "Appear, I made the putt as well as was 2 back, but he's certainly not mosting likely to only begin making bogeys after that. He's visiting do the contrary and he's going to begin hitting golf shots. It nearly brought his focus back in for an one-half second, which is actually one thing you can't educate. You only either have it or you don't." Scottie Scheffler celebrates along with the FedEx Prize after succeeding the FedExCup as well as Trip Championship. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAfter one of awful tries of his career, Scheffler did what he has done so typically recent 3 years-- he shut the door on Morikawa as well as everybody else.He helped make birdies on each of the next 3 holes. On the par-3 nine, he punched a 4-iron try to 5 shoes, 2 inches. His strategy 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 five shots once again. He included an eagle on the par-5 14th. Editor's Picks2 RelatedScheffler caught his very first FedEx Mug along with a total score of 30 under (he started at 10 under as the season-long aspects leader in the staggered-scoring format), beating Morikawa by four movements and Sahith Theegala through six.It was the third direct year through which Scheffler began with a 2-stroke top over everybody else in the Trip Championship. 2 years back, he wasted a six-stroke lead in the last shot as well as dropped to Rory McIlroy by one. In 2014, he was actually 1 under over 72 openings (not including beginning movements) as well as matched for 6th." I make an effort certainly not to presume way too much regarding recent or assume too much about the future, however I assume pair of years ago was actually quite hard, having an excellent top going into the final round and not playing my finest and after that dropping, and afterwards in 2013 I simply possessed a rather off week therefore was fairly unsatisfactory," Scheffler mentioned. "Therefore to come belong a top for the third time as well as manage to finish it off is absolutely rather pleasant." Scheffler signed up with Leopard Woods (1999 and also 2007) and Dustin Johnson (2020) as the only golf players to win the Scenic tour Champion while they were actually placed No. 1 in the Official Planet Golf Ranking.With his initial FedEx Mug playoffs victory, Scheffler ended up being only the fourth PGA Excursion golfer since 1980 to win at least seven opportunities along with a major in a solitary time. Tom Watson (1980 ), Woods (1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007) and also Vijay Singh (2004) were the others.Scheffler acquired a trumpet call coming from his caddie, Ted Scott, after bogeying for the second successive time on hole No. 8. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesFollowing Scheffler's ordeal on the eighth hole, his caddie, Ted Scott, pulled him apart for a pep talk prior to his tee go on the ninth." Yeah, nine was actually a big turn-around," Scheffler stated. "Teddy gave me a great pep talk there astride 8 eco-friendly because I type of checked out him like, 'Man, I don't find out about this. This isn't appearing therefore warm immediately.' He sort of provided me a little pep talk, and after that I managed to reach an actually good iron go in there and got things spinning." Scheffler decreased to uncover what Scott informed him." I'm certainly not mosting likely to give away all our techniques," Scheffler claimed. "Teddy has always been my most significant advocate. I assume the results represent on their own after he had the capacity to get my bag as well as begin assisting me. He really is actually a big component of the crew. I don't understand if I would certainly have the capacity to carry out any of this without him on my bag. We've received an excellent partnership." He has a routine of claiming the correct factor at the correct time to type of keep me in the right frame of mind." Scheffler's 2024 time are going to be always remembered as one of the best in golf record. Each of his triumphes happened against best industries in four signature activities (Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Remembrance Competition and Travelers Champion), Athletes Championship, Masters and also the Trip Championship.Last month, the 28-year-old from Texas incorporated a gold award at the Olympics in Paris. Scheffler isn't certain why the Olympics isn't being actually counted in his triumph total by the PGA Scenic tour." I do not think people comprehend exactly how difficult that is actually to perform, when you're anticipated to succeed, when you are actually the favorite to succeed, when each and every single trait you are actually doing is actually being checked out-- excellent and also bad-- on the fairway, and exactly how hard it is actually to get inside your very own little region and own little bit of world as well as really just peaceful the sound," claimed Justin Thomas, who tied for 14th at 14 under." It's something that is actually just like much of a skill as having the ability to reach a motorist in the golf course or an iron on series. He is actually accurately thought that out effectively." Scheffler's outstanding 2024 season consisted of a gold award at the 2024 Paris Games. ( Image through Andrew Redington/Getty Images) Along the way, Scheffler accumulated around $62.2 million in on-course incomes as well as season-long bonuses.Even better, Scheffler and also his better half, Meredith, invited their initial child, Bennett, on Might 8." I believe that I've lived practically a full lifetime in this particular one year," Scheffler pointed out. "It is actually been almonds." Scheffler's 7 victories came in merely 19 starts. He was actually a runner-up two times as well as had top-10 surfaces in every yet 3 of his begins and no missed out on cuts.Woods' 2000 season is actually thought about some of the greatest in history-- he recorded three of his 15 primary champions by 24 tries integrated as well as succeeded 9 times overall in 20 beginnings. He was runner-up four opportunities. Tiger gained about $9.2 thousand that year.About the only thing that decreased Scheffler down over the past eight-plus months was the Louisville policeman who apprehended him adhering to a visitor traffic accident outside evictions of Valhalla Golf Nightclub in Kentucky just before the second round of the PGA Championship.Top accounts of the full week from Receive unique accessibility to thousands of superior articles a year from top article writers. u2022 CFB: Week 1 sneak peek along with absolute best 25 activities "u2022 That are actually X elements for all 32 NFL teams? "u2022 Transmission value of the job maintains increasing" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Remarkably, Scheffler posted a 5-under 66 a couple of hours after he was actually released coming from jail. He seemed to run out of gas on the weekend break as well as connected for 8th. Louisville district attorneys dropped Scheffler's costs on May 29." I think his congruity, his perspective," mentioned McIlroy, that linked for 9th at 16 under. "I think that he merely sort of carries the exact same behavior to the training program each and every day, no matter what posture on the leaderboard he resides in. He is actually just amazing to only see the method he manages himself all around the golf links. Yeah, our team'll reflect on 2024 and it is actually obviously one of the very best specific years that a gamer has eaten a long time." Scheffler's victory at East Pond must end any kind of discussion about that's the PGA Tour gamer of the year. Xander Schauffele had an argument after gaining his initial pair of majors at the PGA Champion and The Open.Even Schauffele acknowledges everyone more is still chasing Scheffler." I believe due to the meaning of dominance, I believe that's essentially where he's sitting," Schauffele mentioned. "I don't understand the number of full weeks he's been No. 1 player in the world. Given that I have actually been actually out, I presume Dustin had a run, Brooks [Koepka] had a run, Jon [Rahm] had a run, Rory had a run. They were type of drilling back and forth between 1, 2 and also 3. Scottie has actually just been at the great of the hill for, what, 2 total years right now it appears." Scheffler does not seem prepared to find down anytime quickly, either.