PGA Tour membership has been decided World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler named Player of the Yearhe would win this award for the third consecutive season.
Tiger Woods is the only player to win this award three times in a row. Woods, a 15-time major champion, last won in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Woods also won the Player of the Year award, which he continued to dominate the golf world for five years from 1999 to 2003.
Scheffler has been so dominant on the PGA Tour in recent years that many people compare him to Woods for a variety of reasons. His ability to hit the ball, avoid bogeys, and win tournament after tournament explains why. But Scheffler's clutch gene also backs up this claim, as proven at both TPC Sawgrass and the Paris Olympics.
But Scheffler doesn't want to compare himself to one of the all-time greats.
“There's really only one tiger,” Scheffler said Tuesday.
“I'm trying to do my best and that's all I'm really focused on. I'm not chasing records or history or anything like that. I'm just trying to keep improving a little bit every day. I just want to go out there and compete and have fun.”
Each week, Scheffler talks about how he's “obsessed with my process” and “focused on the present.” He never looks ahead or dwells on the past. Instead, he values consistency. Although he practices hard, he values his family and faith more than anything else. Also, he does not use social media. This is an unusual but admirable trait.
This mentality and discipline helped Scheffler win nine events in 2024, including the Masters, Players, and Tour Championship, making him the first player to win all three tournaments in the same season.
Scheffler also won four signature events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Memorial and Travelers Championship. These tournaments took place on vastly different courses and proved that his game and mentality knew no bounds.
He also won gold at the Olympics with a final round of 62, one of the best rounds in golf history. Scheffler then capped off a historic season with a stress-free victory at the Hero World Challenge. On Sunday, he shot a 9-under 63 to beat Tom Kim by six.
In total, Scheffler earned more than $60 million in official pay and bonuses, an eye-popping amount that correlates with an eye-popping season.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
