Scottie Scheffler put the finishing touches on what many are calling the greatest single season in modern golf history, cruising to a six-shot victory at the Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas on December 8, 2024.

The 28-year-old Texan delivered a masterclass in the final round at Tiger Woods hosted invitational event, carding a bogey-free 63 that included nine birdies and nine pars. His 25-under total tied the tournament record at Albany Golf Course and left the rest of the elite 20-man field in his wake.

South Koreas Tom Kim finished as runner-up on 19-under, while Justin Thomas, who held a one-shot lead entering Sunday, slipped to third on 18-under. Thomas continues his winless drought that now extends beyond two years. Akshay Bhatia claimed fourth place at 14-under, with U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley rounding out the top five.

With this triumph, Scheffler became only the third player to successfully defend the Hero World Challenge title, joining an exclusive club that includes Woods himself, who accomplished the feat in 2006-07, and Viktor Hovland, who did so in 2021-22.

The victory marked Schefflers ninth worldwide win of 2024 and his tenth in the last 12 months, a stretch of dominance that has drawn inevitable comparisons to Woods during his prime years. The win also carried significant historical weight, as Scheffler surpassed Sir Nick Faldo for the most consecutive weeks as World No. 1, moving into his 82nd week atop the Official World Golf Ranking.

Schefflers 2024 campaign reads like a highlight reel of historic proportions. He captured seven PGA Tour titles, including his second Masters green jacket at Augusta National in April. He added an Olympic gold medal in Paris, becoming the first golfer to win both a major championship and Olympic gold in the same year since golf returned to the Games in 2016.

Perhaps most impressively, Scheffler became the first player to start and end the calendar year as World No. 1 since Woods accomplished the feat in 2009. The parallels to the 15-time major champion are becoming harder to dismiss.

Schefflers final round at Albany showcased exactly why he has separated himself from the competition. After making the turn at three-under for the day, he birdied the 10th, 13th, and 14th holes to build an insurmountable lead. Further birdies at the 16th and 18th provided the exclamation point on both the tournament and his remarkable season.

The Hero World Challenge, while an unofficial event that awards no FedEx Cup points, featured a purse of five million dollars. Scheffler collected one million for his efforts, though at this point in his career, the money seems almost secondary to the historical significance of his achievements.

As the golf world looks ahead to 2025, one question dominates the conversation: Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler? Based on the evidence from his dominant 2024 campaign, the answer appears to be a resounding no.