Tag: Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler wins PGA Tour Player of the Year in a landslide

Scheffler became the first to three-peat for the Jack Nicklaus Award since Tiger Woods in 2007.

Scottie Scheffler better make room in his trophy cabinet.

The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday that Scheffler, the 2024 FedEx Cup champion and world No. 1, has won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA Tour Player of the Year for the 2024 season.

Just two days after repeating as winner of the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event that marked his ninth win of the year, Scheffler was surprised with the trophy at a FedEx charity event on Tuesday at the PGA Tour Superstore in Plano, Texas. Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, joined FedEx to help students from the charity, Behind Every Door, shop for holiday presents with PGA Tour Superstore gift cards.

Scheffler received 91 percent of the vote and was selected over Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy.

More: How much money did Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott make in 2024?

Scheffler, who won seven Tour events in 2024, the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the season-long FedEx Cup title, is the first player since Tiger Woods (2005-07) to win Player of the Year honors in three consecutive seasons.

Scheffler joins Woods as the only players to win the Jack Nicklaus Award in three consecutive seasons (est. 1990). Woods won Player of the Year in consecutive seasons from 1999-2003 (five straight) and 2005-2007 (three straight).

Scheffler (2022, 2023, 2024), Woods (11 times, most recent 2013) and McIlroy (2012, 2014, 2019) are the only players to win the award three or more times. Since the inception of the FedEx Cup in 2007, nine players have won the FedEx Cup and Player of the Year in the same season.

“On behalf of the PGA Tour, congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on a truly historic season,” said Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Scottie took on challenges from the best players in the world on the biggest stages all season, and being honored as PGA Tour Player of the Year is the ultimate sign of respect from his peers.”

2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis. (Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal)

Scheffler won the FedEx Cup for the first time, became the first player to successfully defend his title at the Players Championship and won the Masters for the second time (2022, 2024). In doing so, he became the first player to win the Players, a major championship and the FedEx Cup in the same season. Scheffler also won the Tour Championship and captured four titles at signature events: Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament and Travelers Championship.

His seven-win season marked the first time a player won seven or more times in a single season since Woods in 2007. Throughout the entire season, Scheffler maintained his No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, a position he has occupied since May 21, 2023 (82 straight weeks). In total, Scheffler recorded a Tour-best 16 top-10s in 19 starts and did not miss a cut.

More: At the Hero World Challenge, Scottie Scheffler joked that he and Tiger ‘talked about money and how the purses need to be bigger’

Scheffler’s season also included a gold medal, winning the men’s Olympic golf competition in his Olympic debut, and a victory for the United States at the Presidents Cup.

For the second consecutive season, Scheffler also received the Byron Nelson Award for recording the lowest scoring average on Tour in 2024 (68.65).

Player of the Year is determined by a member vote, with Tour members who played in at least 15 events during the 2024 season eligible to vote. The voting period ran from November 25 through December 4.

What’s the format for the 2024 Showdown? It’s a mix of all three familiar to Ryder Cup fans

The golfers are from the PGA Tour and LIV. The announcing team will also be a blend of the two circuits.

The Showdown 2024 is a two-on-two duel between some of the top stars in the game.

Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas will be the venue for the Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler vs. Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka duel.

The coverage is set to start at 6 p.m. ET (4 p.m. in Las Vegas) and will be live on TNT as well as TBS, truTV and the B/R Sports Add-On on the Max app.

What’s the format for The Showdown?

Fans of the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup will recognize the formats but The Showdown will have them all in a condensed form.

The play at Shadow Creek will divided into three six-hole segments.

  • The first six holes will be best ball, also known as four-balls. In this format, each golfer plays his own ball and the lower score on each hole counts as the team score.
  • The middle six holes (Nos. 7 through 12) will be alternate shot, also known as foursomes, where the golfers take turns hitting the same ball all the way to the cup.
  • Holes 13 through 18, should the match go all 18 holes, will be singles.

It’s TBD for how these singles matches will be set.

Shadow Creek Golf Course is the No. 1-ranked public-access golf course in Nevada.

Scottie Scheffler passes another Official World Golf Ranking milestone after Hero victory

Scheffler is the 25th golfer all-time to reach No. 1.

Scottie Scheffler capped his incredible 2024 season on Sunday with his ninth victory of the calendar year at the Hero World Challenge.

And come Monday, he’s primed to pass another benchmark previously accomplished by only two golfers.

When the Official World Golf Ranking updates Monday, Scheffler will be in the No. 1 spot for the 82nd consecutive week, breaking a tie with Nick Faldo for the fourth longest span of all-time. The only two golfers to spend more consecutive weeks atop the OWGR are Tiger Woods, who did it twice for 281 and 264 weeks, respectively, and Greg Norman, who was No. 1 for 96 straight weeks.

Scheffler is the 25th golfer all-time to reach No. 1, and he has held the position since May 21, 2023. With his massive lead in points, he’s not going anywhere for some time, either.

Next week will mark Scheffler’s 117th as No. 1 in the world, only five weeks behind Rory McIlroy’s 122, a mark he’ll pass in the middle of January. Dustin Johnson is next on the list, being in the top spot for 135 weeks, another mark that Scheffler is likely to top.

Another feat Scheffler is bound to pass is Norman’s longest stretch on top of the world at 96 straight weeks. Because of how many average points Scheffler has between he and world No. 2 Xander Schauffele, the chances of him losing the top spot in the world in the early part of 2025 are slim to none, meaning he’s likely to become the second golfer ever to spend at least 100 consecutive weeks at No. 1.

As far as catching No. 1 on that list? We’ll check back in a couple years.

As mentioned above, Scheffler earned the fourth-most OWGR points in a single year in 2024, trailing only Woods’ 2000, 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Woods is by far the most successful golfer in OWGR history, with Norman a distant second. The 28-year-old Scheffler is closing in on third with arguably the prime of his career just starting.

How much money did Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott make in 2024?

Scott has made a pretty penny working for Scheffler.

Scottie Scheffler hiring Ted Scott as his caddie has been plenty beneficial for both sides.

On Sunday, Scheffler won for the ninth time in 2024, defending his title at the Hero World Challenge. Scott has been on the bag from Scheffler’s first PGA Tour win in 2022 to his latest in The Bahamas.

All those wins later, Scott has made a pretty penny working for Scheffler.

After Sunday’s victory, Scheffler’s earnings for the year moved to $55,228,358 after claiming the $1 million first-place prize at Albany Golf Club.

Scott has also benefitted plenty financially from Scheffler’s dominance. Although all caddies may be paid slightly different depending on their relationship with a player, the normal scale is as follows: 10 percent of winnings if a caddie’s player wins, 7 percent for a top 10 and 5 percent for making the cut.

Following that formula, Scott could be up to $5,338,504 this season, if not more, after the Hero World Challenge. Almost half of that amount — $2.5 million to be exact — came at the Tour Championship. There’s also a question mark for the PGA Championship, where Scott missed the third round to attend his daughter’s graduation.

Nevertheless, that number of projected earnings would rank top 20 on the PGA Tour this season, ahead of golfers like two-time winner Austin Eckroat, 2023 FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland and Hero runner-up Tom Kim, among others.

Here’s a breakdown of possible money Scott has earned caddying for Scheffler during 2024.

Tournament Finish Scheffler money Scott money
Sentry T-5 $690,500 $48,335
American Express T-17 $132,300 $6,615
AT&T Pebble Beach T-6 $642,500 $44,975
WM Phoenix Open T-3 $519,200 $36,344
Genesis Invitational T-10 $455,000 $31,850
Arnold Palmer Invitational 1 $4,000,000 $400,000
Players 1 $4,500,000 $450,000
Texas Children’s Houston Open T-2 $553,735 $38,762
Masters 1 $3,600,000 $360,000
RBC Heritage 1 $3,600,000 $360,000
PGA Championship T-8 $521,418 $36,500
Charles Schwab Challenge T-2 $809,900 $56,693
Memorial Tournament 1 $4,000,000 $400,000
U.S. Open T-41 $72,305 $3,616
Travelers Championship 1 $3,600,000 $360,000
The Open T-7 $451,833 $31,629
FedEx St. Jude Championship 4 $960,000 $67,200
BMW Championship T-33 $119,667 $5,984
Tour Championship 1 $25,000,000 $2,500,000
Hero World Challenge 1 $1,000,000 $100,000
Total $55,228,358 $5,338,504

 

Scottie Scheffler defends title at 2024 Hero World Challenge, earns ninth win of year

Scheffler ran away with his second Hero title.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Eight wasn’t enough for Scottie Scheffler.

With birdies on three of the first four holes on Sunday, he assumed the lead and cruised to a six-stroke victory over Tom Kim at the 2024 Hero World Challenge for his ninth win of the year.

“It feels nice,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been fortunate to get some wins out of some really good golf. This was another week where I played really solid and was able to see some nice results from that. Overall it was a pretty fun year.”

Was it ever. Scheffler closed with a birdie at the final hole to shoot 9-under 63 at Albany Club, a 72-hole total of 25-under 263 and successfully defend his title at the 20-man unofficial event hosted by Tiger Woods.

“You were in my tummy last time,” Meredith Scheffler told the couple’s first born, son Bennett, who arrived in May and was carried around the course by her mother in a baby carrier.

Hero World Challenge: Photos | Tournament hub

Scheffler, the world No. 1 and FedEx Cup champion, won seven times on the PGA Tour, including the Masters, Players Championship and Tour Championship. He also won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, which he counts as win No. 8.

“Gotta enjoy each one, they’re all so unique,” Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott said. “It’s just good to see him back on the horse.” And he smiled a wry smile  before dashing to the airport to catch a flight.

Scheffler opened with 67 and followed with a bogey-free 64 to assume the lead. But he shot a rather pedestrian third-round 69 and trailed Justin Thomas by one stroke heading into the final round. Thomas wedged from 112 yards to 3 feet at the first to protect his one-shot lead. But he made bogeys at Nos. 2 and 5 (and a birdie at three) to lose the lead and never got it back. Scheffler now has shot lower than Thomas, who closed in 71 and finished alone in third, eight of the last nine times they have been paired together.

More: Hero World Challenge prize money payouts

“I would have liked to put a little more heat obviously on Scottie going to the back nine,” Thomas said. “But I mean, you know, obviously I can’t expect to have good things happen when I’m leading by one over Scottie and only shooting 1 under on Sunday.”

Scheffler stormed out of the gate hot to let it be known he meant business. He drained an 8-foot birdie at the first and reached the par-5 third hole in two and two-putted for another birdie. Then a body blow to the hopes of his competitors at the fourth: He sank a 49-foot birdie putt.

“Anytime you see a long putt go in like that, it’s always a good feeling and it’s good momentum and I try to use that as good fuel for the rest of the round,” he said.

Kim, who closed in 68, cut Scheffler’s lead to one momentarily with a 4-foot birdie at the ninth before Scheffler converted his own 4-foot birdie putt at nine in the next group. He kept the pedal down on the back nine, making birdie at 10 and went flag hunting at 13. He dripped in the 6-foot putt using the claw grip, taking his palm of the right hand off the club, which he used from around 15 feet and in this week for the first time in competition.

“It’s over,” a fan said, perhaps prematurely, but he wasn’t wrong.

Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the final round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 08, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Scheffler left little doubt down the stretch, driving the green at the 359-yard par 4 14th for another birdie and adding circles on the card at Nos. 16 and 18.

When it was all said and done, some of the best players were left with nothing else to do but praise his brilliance.

“Sometimes he makes the competition look like he’s just playing around with us, you know what I mean, which isn’t easy to do,” Jason Day said.

To Kim, who often played money games at home in Dallas with Scheffler before the birth of Bennett and noted he lost 95 percent of those matches marveled at how Scheffler never goes out shoots and bad score.

“He comes out here and wins, he does it all the time,” Kim said. “I think the biggest thing that I see is that he’s always trying to get better. Despite winning nine times this year, he’s always finding little ways and I think it’s really, really cool to see and you can take a lot from that.”

Thomas and others echoed a similar sentiment that Scheffler excels at handling all the outside noise – whether it be the birth of his baby or being arrested before his tee time at the PGA Championship or just dealing with expectations he’s supposed to win every time he tees it up. No one has proved better at being able to compartmentalize and stay in his own little bubble.

“I don’t think people understand how difficult it is to win when you’re expected to win or when every single person that’s there expects you to play well and you expect you to play well and then to still play well,” Thomas said. “It truly is just as much of a talent as being able to, you know, control your distance with your wedges or flight a driver or hit it far, whatever it is, is being able to stay present, stay in the moment.

“It’s very hard to explain, but it’s so hard to do sometimes,” Thomas added. “To me that’s been the most impressive thing from Scottie.”

The year 2024 was for Scottie Scheffler, and if his latest putting adjustment is any indication, he’s in for only more success in 2025.

Scottie Scheffler’s car is officially being auctioned off for a great cause and could be yours for the right price

“It’s something we’re very passionate about.”

Scottie Scheffler’s 2012 GMC Yukon XL is officially being auctioned off to raise money for Triumph Over Kid Cancer, a charity near and dear to his heart, at Heritage Auctions. Starting bid: $50,000. Golfweek was the first to share the story of how Jim Nantz set the initial bid last month at a fundraising event attended by the Scheffler family in Houston.

The story of the car is worth telling again. In 2012, Scheffler’s high school team attended the Masters and his dad drove there in the family GMC with Scottie’s sisters. But the car broke down and Scott Scheffler purchased a new white GMC Yukon on the Monday after the Masters to drive home from Masters GMC in Augusta.

“Most people get a T-shirt, I got a $50,000 car payment,” Scott Scheffler said.

Dubbed “GMC Airlines,” it transported Scottie to junior tournaments, AJGA events, and college competitions, logging countless miles on the road from coast to coast. After his son graduated from Texas, Scott gifted the car to Scottie, making it the first car Scottie owned and he drove it for eight years and 184,000 miles.

He recalled putting a new transmission in the day before he left for PGA Tour Q-School in Alabama. He drove it to mini tour events and Monday qualifiers when he first turned pro in 2018, and during his season on the Korn Ferry Tour and it remained his primary vehicle with Duct tape on the steering wheel even after he became a Tour winner and millionaire many times over.

“I definitely drove it for too long,” Scheffler said.

Two years ago, Scheffler was playing the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, not far from his home in Dallas and had commuted there in his Yukon. His caddie, Ted Scott, had done the same in his 2008 Toyota Tundra from his home in Louisiana. Standing on the range, Scheffler observed, “I think you have the only car in player parking this week that is worth less than my car.”

An argument ensued.

“He’s like, ‘No way, man, Toyotas run forever, my car is worth way more than your car,’ ” Scheffler recounted. “We had this back and forth and we kept hitting balls and I said, ‘I got it, my car is worth more than your car because mine has the Masters GMC logo on the back and I’m a Masters champion.’ ”

Scottie said it was his dad who suggested they give the car to TOKC, which was started by James Ragan, a friend from junior golf who died from osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, to auction it and raise money.

“James was a buddy that I grew up with playing golf. He passed away due to cancer but he started this foundation,” Scottie said. “It’s something we’re very passionate about.”

Scheffler signed the dash and the passenger side (on the air bag panel) with a “First Owned Vehicle” inscription and the second signature appears on the right visor (vanity mirror cover).

As the auction web site notes, “Imagine if you owned the first car that Jack Nicklaus owned and drove cross country from tournament to tournament until he won his first Masters. That’s akin to this opportunity where you can win the first vehicle of two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler who is only 27 years old.”

Heritage Auctions, the auction house overseeing the auction, will be donating 100 percent of its commission to TOKC.

Justin Thomas pulls ahead, but Scottie Scheffler is in his rearview mirror at the Hero World Challenge

Catch up on Saturday’s action here.

NASSAU, Bahamas – Justin Thomas has one last chance to win a tournament in 2024 and he’ll head into the final round with a one-stroke lead over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the Hero World Challenge.

Thomas carded a bogey-free 6-under 66 at Albany Club on a warm and wind-swept Saturday to improve to 17-under 199.

“I didn’t think I played nearly as well as he had the first two days but it was tough out there and I made a few more putts,” he said.

His play has been none too shabby: he’s bogey-free for his last 51 holes, his lone bogey came at the par-5 third hole in the opening round. Thomas struggled mightily with the putter the first two days, ranking last in Strokes Gained: Putting, and joked, “there was only one way to go.”

Competing for the first time since welcoming the birth of his first child, daughter Molly, he reeled off birdies at Nos. 4 and 6 from inside 10 feet and then let his driver do some damage. Using a 46-inch driver this week, he drove the green at the 359-yard seventh to inside 10 feet and two-putted for birdie.

“That was nice,” he said. “I didn’t have to go full go. It was an advantage for me. I felt like I could be in control… Because how the green sits, you can’t see the ball until you get up there so it was nice to see it up there.”

He tacked on a birdie at nine to go out in 32, then started finding his touch from long range with his putter. First, he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. His next birdie, at No. 14, was an unlikely one. After being out of position off the tee, his pitch ran 47 feet past the hole, but he buried it after recalling something his caddie had said the other day.

“I had a similar thing on Thursday where I hit a bad chip and Rev was, you can still make the putt, you’re fine, that kind of thing. I kind of reminded myself that,” he said.

Hero: Leaderboard | Photo gallery | Best merch

Thomas has had a lot of success at the Hero over the years, owning top-five finishes in his four most recent appearances (third/2023, fifth/2022, T-5/2021, T-5/2019). But victory has eluded the 15-time Tour winner since the 2022 PGA Championship.

“I’ve been progressing nicely, been working on all the right things. Feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do. I can’t control everybody else or what’s going on, I’ve just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it’s enough come Sunday,” he said.

If so, that trophy would come from none other than Tiger Woods.

“That would be great. I’ve had a couple opportunities in the past, but it’s definitely something I’d love to check off my box in my career at some point,” he said.

Hero World Challenge 2024
Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks off the seventh tee during the third round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 07, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler shot 69 on Saturday and played his way into the final group alongside Thomas. But is he pleased with his play so far, which included an 8-under 64 on Friday? Not so much.

“Pleased I think would be a stretch, but overall my game’s in a good spot,” said Scheffler, who has never shot an over score in 15 rounds at Albany. “I’ve liked what I’ve seen the last few days out there on the course and hoping to finish off with a real solid round tomorrow.”

If pleased wasn’t the right description, Scheffler was asked what word he’d use instead. “That’s too difficult a question. My vocabulary is not that vast,” he said with a smile and a chuckle.

Earlier in his comments summing up the round, he chose the word “decent.”

“I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today,” he said.

Scheffler complained of a few too many lip-outs spoiling what could’ve been another mid-60s round for him.

“I felt I had some good putts that should have gone in. I had a putt on 1 that looked really good, I had a putt on 10, putt there on 18 that I hit a really good putt just around the cup,” he said. “Overall I feel like it’s coming off my blade really nice. Yeah, so every time it looks like it’s going towards the hole, I feel like it should be going in and that’s a good feeling.”

Still, he’s poised to join Tiger Woods (2006, ’07) and Viktor Hovland (2021, ’22) as the only back-to-back winners of the Hero World Challenge.

Hero World Challenge 2024
Tom Kim of South Korea and caddie, Paul Tesori, look on from the third tee during the third round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 07, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Tom Kim had a good feeling.

Coming off the lone hiccup of his day at 17, where he needed two shots to extricate himself from the sand, Kim caught the left bunker at 18 and got his revenge. He holed the bunker shot for birdie, his 12th of the day, and posted 10-under 62. Then he told caddie Paul Tesori he knew he was going to make it.

“He actually called BS on it,” Kim said. “He said, ‘No, you didn’t,’ and I tell him like I really did. I saw a good spot, it was a really good spot to miss at. We talked over the shot and kind of let it go. As soon as it landed, I was like, man, this is a really good shot.”

Man, was it a really good day. Kim’s 12 birdies were the most he’s ever made on the Tour.

“I had a few long putts where you’re not really expecting to make and those go in. I did a lot of good things just to keep my momentum going,” he said, noting a clutch par save at No. 8 and a 20-footer on No. 9. “Made a bomb on 10. Had a really easy — I hit a good drive on 11 so it was kind of like an easy birdie, but didn’t hit it on the green and chipped it really good.”

Given that the wind picked up and scoring tended to be higher on Saturday, Scheffler was impressed with Kim’s ability to go low.

“That’s pretty serious golf out there,” he said. “I feel like I played pretty solid yesterday with no wind and shot 8, so 10 in the wind is a pretty special round.”

Kim vaulted to 15 under overall, good for solo third and two back of the lead, which is all the more impressive given that he was 3 over after six holes and opened in 2-over 74. Kim said he made a small adjustment that has paid quick dividends.

“My spin numbers were coming out a little different than usual. So paid a lot of attention after the round and just put that in play yesterday and automatically I saw some results and I just kind of did the same thing and just seems to be paying off a little bit,” he said.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler debuts claw putting grip at 2024 Hero World Challenge

Scheffler is shaking it up.

Scottie Scheffler dominates every statistical category on the PGA Tour, expect on the greens. In an effort to improve his Strokes Gained: Putting number, Scheffler debuted a new putting grip on Thursday during the first round of the 2024 Hero World Challenge.

“Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition. I really enjoyed the way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke,” he said after his 5-under 67.

He used the new grip on shorter putts, but reverted back to a conventional right-hand low grip on longer efforts.

“I feel like my speed has always been extremely good, especially from long range. I think I’ve always been a really, really good lag putter. That’s an area where I don’t think I would see much improvement with the grip,” he said. “The closer I get to the hole, kind of that inside 15-foot range, I think that’s where I’m seeing a lot of the benefits of it.”

The World No. 1, who won in Albany last season, ranked 77th in SG: Putting in 2024, an improvement from 162nd in 2023.

Another significant jump in that number in 2025 would be a nightmare for the rest of the Tour.

Hero World Challenge: Photos | Tournament hub

Check out Scheffler’s new grip below.

Hero World Challenge 2024
Scottie Scheffler of the United States putts on the second green during the first round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 05, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

At the Hero World Challenge, Scottie Scheffler joked that he and Tiger ‘talked about money and how the purses need to be bigger’

Asked what he and Tiger discussed on the golf course, Scheffler showed his humorous side.

NASSAU, Bahamas – Scottie Scheffler’s three-shot victory at the 2023 Hero World Challenge proved to be the perfect springboard into this season. The world No. 1 won seven times on the PGA Tour, including his second Green Jacket at the Masters and was the gold medalist at the Paris Olympics. He’s confident that this week at The Albany could spur another sublime season.

“It’s good being back here in the Bahamas, it’s always a fun tournament for us to come play in,” he said. “I think it’s a good warmup for the year, kind of see where everything’s at. Kind of come down here, compete, have some fun in the Bahamas and get ready for the next season to start.”

But after such a tremendous season, Scheffler was asked what he’s been working on during his off-season to get even better.

“Just the same stuff I’ve always been working on,” he said. “After I take a bit of a break it usually takes me a little while to make sure my swing is in a good spot. I wouldn’t say bad habits but just to make sure my swing is in a place that I like it and then to continue to just enhance the stuff that I’ve been working on the last couple of years.”

2024 Hero World Challenge
Scottie Scheffler tees off the seventh hole during a pro-am prior to the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course in Nassau, Bahamas. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Last year, Scheffler added a new putter before the Hero and was in the early stages of working with putting coach Phil Kenyon. He topped the field in the putting stats at the Hero and his work with the short stick made great strides in 2024, improving from No. 162 in Strokes Gained: Putting last season to No. 77 this year. Will there be any equipment changes for next season?

“No, ’24 went pretty well,” Scheffler said. “Getting better isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes a lot of time and I still feel like there are areas that I can improve upon without making drastic changes to the DNA of what I do.”

Why mess with success?

Scheffler’s got jokes, too

During Scheffler’s pro-am round on Wednesday, tournament host Tiger Woods, who isn’t competing this week, popped out to watch Scheffler and the two chatted on and off between shots. Asked what the two discussed, Scheffler showed his humorous side and deadpanned, “Most of the time we just talked about money and how the purses need to be bigger. Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated, he feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career. I feel the same way, I feel like last year I didn’t get paid enough for what I did. Mostly that, just a bunch of griping.”

Laughter ensued before Scheffler made the point that he’s never played golf for money.

“I played golf because I love the game, I love competition. My motivating factor has never been more money and I feel like I think there’s a lot of stuff in this life and in this game that you can do for money and I’ve never been one of those players that has gone out and seeked to try to build the best business brand for myself,” he said. “What I love is I love coming out here and competing and playing golf, I go home and love living my life. I play because I love the competition.”

2024 Hero World Challenge
Scottie Scheffler speaks to the media during a press conference prior ahead of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course in Nassau, Bahamas. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Could there be another successful title defense this week? He faces a 20-man field, which is weaker than in past years – just three of the top 10 players in the world are playing here this week (Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark). Then there’s the fact that in his last 12 no-cut tournaments, he has five victories; no one else has more than one.

“His consistency has been absolutely absurd,” NBC Sports commentator John Wood said. “Sometimes that can take a lot out of you. When you’re there every single week the pressure builds and it’s exhausting.”

But given Scheffler’s other-wordly ball-striking it wouldn’t surprise him to see Scheffler remain the dominant player.

“That’s the one thing that travels,” Wood said referring to Scheffler’s precision in hitting fairways and greens. “The fact that he hits the ball so well makes me believe he can have as good if not a better year (in 2025).

Many highs, but some unsettling lows as we look at 8 huge stories from the 2024 PGA Tour season

An arrest. A missed short putt on the 72nd hole of a major. An amateur victory. They were all among the storylines for the 2024 PGA Tour season, a season that ended at the RSM Classic, the last of 43 official events for the year. Each season has its …

An arrest. A missed short putt on the 72nd hole of a major. An amateur victory.

They were all among the storylines for the 2024 PGA Tour season, a season that ended at the RSM Classic, the last of 43 official events for the year.

Each season has its own character, and 2024 seemed to be a year of redemption and heartbreak at the same time. Here’s a look at eight of the big stories from this past year on the PGA Tour:

Scottie Scheffler’s season

Scheffler solidified his spot as the No. 1 player in the world with seven victories including the Masters, the Players Championship and the Tour Championship while adding the Olympic gold medal in Paris for good measure. It was a massive and historic year for Scheffler. Especially when you consider …

Scottie Scheffler smiles while waiting to tee off on the fourth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports

Scottie Scheffler’s arrest

In many ways, this is the No. 1 story of the year. Before the second round of the PGA Championship against the backdrop of a fatal pedestrian vs. car accident on the access road to Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, Scheffler made a left-hand turn that ended up with him being arrested, taken to a police station and booked before being released, returning to the course and shooting 66. The story played out for a few weeks before charges were dropped.

Nick Dunlap’s win

No amateur had won on the PGA Tour in 33 years, but Dunlap, a sponsor’s exemption to The American Express, played brilliant golf including shooting a 60 in the third round to win what turned out to be his last event as an amateur. Toss in a win later in the year at the Barracuda Championship, and Dunlap is the first golfer to win on tour as an amateur and as a pro in the same year.

Bryson DeChambeau of the United States reacts on the 18th hole after finishing the third round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 15, 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The U.S. Open

Just when it looked like Rory McIlroy would end his 10-year major drought, a roller-coaster back nine saw him secure the win, then give it away with three bogeys in his last four holes, including two missed short putts on 16 and 18. Bryson DeChambeau tried to give the tournament away on the 18th as well, but managed a great up and down from a greenside bunker for a one-shot win and heartbreak for McIlroy fans.

No deal, still

The year started with Jon Rahm jumping from the PGA Tour to the LIV Tour and lots of talk about how a deal could be struck between the two rival leagues by the Masters. Instead, there remains a divide in the game, the PGA Tour has answered hardly any questions about negotiations while LIV is seeing the Public Investment Fund that backs the golf league pledging to cut its spending in coming years. Meanwhile, the LIV Tour can’t get any traction in television ratings. And the fans are still a secondary thought.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Grayson Murray walks the fairway from the 1st tee during the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. (Photo: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)

Grayson Murray

From celebration to tragedy. Murray’s win at the Sony Open in January was a victory for overcoming substance abuse and mental health issues. But by May, Murray walked off the course at the Charles Schwab Challenge before the round was over and flew home to Florida. The next day it was confirmed that Murray had committed suicide.

Xander’s majors

For a few years, the question was when Xander Schauffele would break through and win a major after so many near misses. Then came the PGA Championship in Kentucky, where Schueffele held off a charging Bryson DeChambeau to get that first win. Just two months later, Schauffele crashed through the major barrier again, this time winning the British Open. It could be he’s in for more majors in the coming years.

Tiger’s rugged year

The greatest player of his generation continued to be an afterthought on the tour for another year. Woods only started in five events. His best finish was 60th in the Masters, and he missed the cut in the last three majors of the year and withdrew from the Genesis Invitational that he hosts. It all fueled more talk that Woods should maybe just hang up his clubs.