Scottie Scheffler’s Historic Season: Dominance, Records, and Another Player of the Year Award
When it comes to golf, there’s no denying that Scottie Scheffler is in a league of his own right now. The World No. 1 golfer has capped off an incredible 2024 season by winning the prestigious Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA Tour Player of the Year. This marks the third consecutive year Scheffler has earned the honor, a feat not seen since Tiger Woods achieved it from 2005 to 2007. And let’s be real—Scheffler’s season wasn’t just great; it was historic.
With seven victories on tour this past season, Scheffler matched a level of dominance that hasn’t been seen since Woods in 2007. Among those wins were some of the sport’s most coveted prizes: a second green jacket at the Masters, a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, and the FedEx Cup title. Oh, and let’s not forget his second straight Hero World Challenge victory, an unofficial tournament hosted by Woods in the Bahamas. That win brought his total to nine victories worldwide in 2024. Simply put, Scheffler was unstoppable.
“A Truly Historic Season”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan summed it up perfectly in a statement on Tuesday: “On behalf of the PGA Tour, congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on a truly historic season, capped off with his first FedExCup title and today a third consecutive Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA Tour Player of the Year. 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.”
And respect he earned. According to the PGA Tour, Scheffler received a staggering 91% of the vote from his peers. The only other players to receive votes were Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and The Open Championship, and Rory McIlroy. PGA Tour members who competed in at least 15 tournaments were eligible to vote on the award, which took place from Nov. 25 to Dec. 4.
Breaking Down Scheffler’s Dominance
Let’s talk numbers, because Scheffler’s stats this season are jaw-dropping:
- He finished first in 43% of his 21 starts in 2024, including the Olympics and the Hero World Challenge.
- He was runner-up twice and didn’t miss a single cut all season.
- He earned more than $29.2 million in on-course earnings this past season.
- He had a tour-best 16 top-10 finishes in 19 starts.
And that’s just scratching the surface. Scheffler became the first player to successfully defend his title at The Players Championship, and he’s the first golfer to win The Players, a major championship, and the FedEx Cup in the same season. He also claimed titles at four signature events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Memorial Tournament, and Travelers Championship. Oh, and he’s the first golfer since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to have six PGA Tour victories in a season before July 1. Legendary company, right?
“It Feels Nice”
After his Hero World Challenge win, where he beat Tom Kim by six strokes, Scheffler reflected on his incredible year. “It feels nice,” he 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.”
Fun might be an understatement. Scheffler’s consistency and ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stages have made him the undisputed king of golf in 2024. He also received the Byron Nelson Award for having the lowest scoring average on tour (68.65) and led in shots gained: total (2.496) and approach (1.269), while finishing second off the tee (.816).
What’s Next for Scheffler?
At just 28 years old, Scheffler is showing no signs of slowing down. Fellow golfer Tom Kim summed it up best: “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. He wins 95% of the time.”
With three consecutive Jack Nicklaus Awards, a FedEx Cup title, and a season for the ages, the question now is: How much higher can Scottie Scheffler climb? If 2024 is any indication, the sky’s the limit.
Originally Written by: Mark Schlabach
