Timeline: Scottie Scheffler’s inevitable rise to FedExCup champion

He’s world No. 1, a two-time major champion, Olympic gold medalist and a statistically generational ball-striker.

Now Scottie Scheffler is a FedExCup champion.

After surrendering the No. 1 seed into the TOUR Championship in both 2022 and 2023, Scheffler made amends with a sterling performance at East Lake this weekend. He entered the week at 10-under in the TOUR Championship’s FedExCup Starting Strokes format and kept the field mostly at arm’s length with rounds of 65-66-66-67 at the recently restored Atlanta venue. Scheffler finished at 30-under, four strokes clear of Collin Morikawa, to win the 2024 FedExCup.

Scheffler, 28, is the two-time reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year and winner of the last two PLAYERS Championship titles. He’s comfortably No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking and is set to lead the U.S. Team at this month’s Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club. Now he’s the PGA TOUR’s season-long FedExCup champion, another notch in a spectacular golf journey that began as a tyke in New Jersey (creating his own courses around the house), progressed to adolescence in Dallas (wearing long pants to practice because he wanted to be like the pros) and has remained on an upward trajectory for nearly three decades.

Here’s a look at how Scheffler got here, a timeline of his journey to the PGA TOUR’s ultimate prize.

July 26, 2013: Wins U.S. Junior Amateur at California’s Martis Camp Club, defeating Davis Riley in the 36-hole final match. “You have to be mentally tough,” Scheffler said afterward, a harbinger of things to come.

May 18, 2014: As a high school senior, finishes T22 in PGA TOUR debut at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson outside Dallas. His week includes an ace during the third round, with his sister Callie on the bag.

June 18, 2017: Finishes T27 at U.S. Open at Erin Hills as a rising college senior, his second straight U.S. Open appearance (missed the cut in 2016).

Spring 2018: Turns professional after graduating from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Sept. 29, 2018: Cards a final-round 64 at Q-School’s First Stage in Texas, including a back-nine 30, to advance with four strokes to spare. (He played the first two rounds at First Stage alongside former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.)

Dec. 9, 2018: Gets up-and-down for par at final hole of Q-School’s Final Stage in Arizona to earn guaranteed starts on 2019 Korn Ferry Tour. He has harkened back to this moment throughout his career, when asked to pinpoint the most pressure he has felt in a tournament.

May 26, 2019: Shoots a final-round 63 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank, then defeats Marcelo Rozo in a playoff for his first TOUR-sanctioned title.

Sept. 2, 2019: Finishes T7 at Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance to cement the No. 1 spot on season-long standings, en route to Player of the Year honors. Earns fully exempt PGA TOUR status with No. 1 spot.

Sept. 15, 2019: Makes PGA TOUR debut as a member at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, finishing tied for seventh.

Aug. 9, 2020: Places T4 at PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, his first top-10 finish in a major championship.

Aug. 21, 2020: Cards 12-under 59 at TPC Boston in the second round of FedEx St. Jude Championship (then THE NORTHERN TRUST), the 12th sub-60 score in PGA TOUR history.

Sept. 7, 2020: Finishes fifth in season-long FedExCup as a PGA TOUR rookie, his season including 13 top-25 finishes in 23 starts.

July 18, 2021: Finishes eighth at The Open Championship at Royal St. George’s, going 4-for-4 in top-20 finishes in 2021 major championships.

Nov. 18, 2021: In his first round with Ted Scott on the bag, he opens The RSM Classic with a 63. “Teddy’s a real positive influence. We were in a good mood all day,” Scheffler told Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio afterward. (The Scheffler-Scott partnership has only strengthened.)

Sept. 26, 2021: Makes U.S. Team pro debut at Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, going 2-0-1 as a captain’s selection, his week punctuated by a victory over Jon Rahm in Sunday singles.

Feb. 13, 2022: Earns first PGA TOUR title at WM Phoenix Open, defeating Patrick Cantlay with a birdie on the third playoff hole.

March 27, 2022: Reaches world No. 1 with victory at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club, his third win in five starts. “I never got that far in my dreams,” he said afterward in memorable emotional fashion.

April 10, 2022: Captures first major title at Masters Tournament, his fourth win in six starts, finishing 10-under at Augusta National for a three-stroke win over Rory McIlroy.

Aug. 28, 2022: Carries a six-stroke lead into final round of TOUR Championship but shoots 3-over 73 at East Lake to finish tied for second, one back of Rory McIlroy.

Sept. 10, 2022: Wins Jack Nicklaus Award as 2022 PGA TOUR Player of the Year on the strength of a four-win season.

Feb. 12, 2023: Cards final-round 65 at TPC Scottsdale for his second straight WM Phoenix Open victory, his fifth TOUR title.

March 12, 2023: Wins THE PLAYERS Championship in a five-shot runaway at TPC Sawgrass, his sixth TOUR title.

Aug. 27, 2023: Holds No. 1 seed into TOUR Championship for second straight year but finishes T6 at East Lake, 16 strokes behind runaway winner Viktor Hovland.

Jan. 3, 2024: Receives Jack Nicklaus Award as 2023 PGA TOUR Player of the Year on the strength of 17 top-10s in 23 starts, including two wins and two runner-up finishes.

March 17, 2024: Becomes first player to go back-to-back at THE PLAYERS Championship, carding a final-round 64 for a one-stroke win over Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman and Xander Schauffele at 20-under.

April 14, 2024: Wins second Masters Tournament, four strokes clear of Ludvig Åberg, for second major title.

April 21, 2024: Wins in back-to-back weeks with three-stroke triumph at RBC Heritage, his final start before the birth of his first son Bennett on May 8.

June 23, 2024: Wins Travelers Championship in a playoff over Tom Kim, becoming first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six TOUR titles in a season before July.

Aug. 4, 2024: Captures Olympic gold medal with a final-round 62 at Le Golf National in Paris, one stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.

Sept. 1, 2024: After holding the No. 1 seed into the TOUR Championship for the third straight year, he converts for his first FedExCup title. It’s his 13th PGA TOUR title and seventh of 2024, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007 with seven TOUR wins in a season.