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Are you even surprised at this point? For the ninth time in 2024, Scottie Scheffler has found his way into the winner's circle as he claimed the 2024 Hero World Challenge by six strokes over Tom Kim. Firing a final-round bogey-free 63, Scheffler posted the lowest total on Sunday to usurp 54-hole leader Justin Thomas and reach 25 under for the tournament.
With the win, Scheffler has now successfully defended titles at tournaments such as the WM Phoenix Open, Players Championship and Hero World Challenge throughout his career. He adds Albany GC to a list of golf courses -- that also includes Augusta National and Bay Hill Club & Lodge -- where he has won multiple times.
Scheffler's nine victories in 2024 ties him with Tiger Woods (2000) and Vijay Singh (2004) for the most in a single season since 1950, although the Hero World Challenge and the Olympics do not technically qualify as official PGA Tour events. In total, the world No. 1 won at a clip of 42.9% in his 21 tournaments played in 2024.
"It was very satisfying," Scheffler said. "I did a lot of good stuff today on the course. It was a solid round of golf. I got off to a good start. It feels nice to take a little break and come back and continue to play some really solid golf, and I am very pleased with the results this week."
Stalling on Moving Day ever so slightly, Scheffler came into Sunday one off the 54-hole pace set by Thomas. The birdie barrage came early and often as Scheffler wielded his new saw putting grip to perfection across the opening stretch, tacking on three birdies in his first four holes and seizing the outright lead.
By the time Scheffler made the turn, he found himself with a two-stroke advantage and quickly made it three with another lengthy birdie connection on No. 10. Kick-in birdies on Nos. 13-14 sustained his edge over Thomas, who found his stride on the back nine after turning in even par.
Thomas stayed within shouting distance thanks to a birdie on the par-5 15th, but a hiccup on the following hole proved to be the final nail in the coffin when coupled with Scheffler's eighth birdie of the day. Commanding a five-stroke lead with two holes to play, the best player in the world cruised to the finish line and into the winner's circle where he was met by tournament host, Tiger Woods, for the second straight year.
Besting 17 of the 19 competitors in the field by 10 strokes or more, Scheffler once again displayed he is in a class of his own. Consistently improving on his weaknesses while maintaining his even-keeled nature, Scheffler shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Grade: A+
Here are the grades for the rest of the notables on the leaderboard at the 2024 Hero World Challenge.
2. Tom Kim (-19): He was one of the best players across the final three rounds, but unfortunately, he was among the worst in Round 1. Clawing his way back into contention from an opening 74, Kim sizzled on Saturday with a 62 and kept at it on Sunday. After turning in 3 under, Kim needed three putts on the par-5 11th and turned a sure-fire scoring opportunity into a bogey. Despite a great run, the slow start proved too much to overcome. Grade: A
3. Justin Thomas (-18): The door was open for Thomas. Matching Scheffler with a birdie on No. 1, Thomas fell behind a couple holes later and was never able to reclaim the top spot on the leaderboard. The 15-time winner faced scoring chances on Nos. 5-6, but uncharacteristically average pitch shots left him with pars instead of birdies. The same rang true on the par-5 9th when he duffed his second chip on the outward half. By then, Scheffler was off and running. The finish represents Thomas' fifth straight top-five finish at the Hero World Challenge but another missed opportunity as he searches for his first victory since the 2022 PGA Championship. Grade: A-
5. Keegan Bradley (-14): Steady throughout the tournament, Bradley found himself with an outside chance to wreak some havoc on Sunday. Penciling squares onto his scorecard on two par 5s on the front side, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain was unable to muster together any momentum and fell off the pace of Scheffler. The putter proved to be the main culprit as Bradley led the field in ball striking on Sunday but ranked last on the greens. Grade: B+
13. Cameron Young (-5): The former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year got off to a roaring start with an opening bogey-free 64, but that was as good as it would get. Young lost nearly four strokes on the greens on Friday, and his short game didn't do him any favors on Saturday. By then, the damage was done; the first-round leader was unable to parlay his early success into his first win since his Korn Ferry Tour days. His upside is undeniable, but his floor remains shaky. Grade: C
T17. Wyndham Clark (E): For whatever reason, Clark just can't seem to figure out Albany GC. In two trips to the Bahamas, the former U.S. Open champion has yet to break 70 and finished nearly dead last a year after beating just one man in his tournament debut. There weren't many highlights on the week as he ranked outside the top 15 in strokes gained approach each day and was among the worst on the greens. Grade: F
