ATLANTA, GEORGIA | For a moment Sunday, but only for a moment, Scottie Scheffler’s grip on the FedEx Cup trophy seemed in doubt.
What had been a seven-stroke lead early in the final round – equaling Scheffler’s lead after the first round in the weighted scoring system used in the Tour Championship – melted to two over the relentless Collin Morikawa.
Scheffler had just made a second consecutive bogey, caused by a shanked bunker shot at the par-4 eighth hole, and what had seemed certain suddenly felt uncertain.
But not for long.
Three straight birdies, ignited by a brilliant 4-iron shot into the par-3 ninth, stretched Scheffler’s lead back to five strokes, and the sense of inevitability returned.
“I was a bit frustrated. I had a simple up and down there … it’s pretty basic. I’ve shanked it numerous times from a slope like that. Definitely happened at the wrong time,” said Scheffler, who finished at 30-under-par, four ahead of Morikawa.
“Just nothing fazes him.”
Colin Morikawa
Two years in a row, Scheffler had entered the season finale as the leader, only to see someone else win. The feeling was in the thick summer air again.
“Right after [No.] eight, it felt like anyone’s game,” Morikawa said.
Until it wasn’t.
“[Number] nine was a huge turnaround,” Scheffler said. “[Caddie] Teddy [Scott] gave me a nice pep talk there on the back of eight 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.”
It felt as if a season of success was condensed into an hour.
“Just nothing fazes him,” Morikawa said. “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. That's something to learn.”
Bundle it all together – the wins, the AON top-10 bonus, the FedEx Cup bonus – and Scheffler has earned a cool $62.23 million this year, which is roughly as much as Jordan Spieth has earned in his career.
For the record, Scheffler won seven PGA Tour events – the Players Championship, the Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, the Travelers Championship and the Tour Championship – and the Olympic gold medal.
“I think by the definition of dominance, I think that’s literally where he’s sitting,” said Xander Schauffele, who won two majors this season yet still was overshadowed by Scheffler.
It’s also 13 tour victories in less than three years, equaling the career total for Spieth and Jason Day, making him the 84th player to win at least 13 times on tour.
For those who insist on keeping a strict count on the competition, Morikawa shot the lowest 72-hole score at the newly renovated East Lake, playing 72 holes in 22-under 262, but he spotted Scheffler seven shots in the staggered scoring system used in the Tour Championship.
Morikawa had seven top-5 finishes this season but did not manage a victory.
“That was kind of the goal for the week, right, to come out on top on this kind of fake leaderboard and see how things played out. Ultimately Scottie was second or third on that leaderboard, so it didn't really help my case,” Morikawa said.
Sahith Theegala finished third at 24-under after starting at 3-under. A two-stroke penalty that he called on himself for brushing the sand during his backswing on a fairway bunker shot Saturday was the difference in a tie for second and outright third, a difference of $2.5 million.
“At the end of the day, I've played so much golf,” Theegala said. “You kind of just trust your intuition and gut, and right away I thought I moved some sand there. I'm in the 90s percent that I thought I moved some sand. I'd sleep a lot better if I saw some clear image of me moving the sand.
“I really think I did move the sand. It's just an unfortunate rule. But what are you going to do? Take the two shots on the chin and just roll with it.”
Ron Green Jr.