Scheffler equals record for most wins in a year

Hero World Challenge – final leaderboard

-25 S Scheffler (US); -19 T Kim (Kor); -18 J Thomas (US); -15 A Bhatia (US); -14 K Bradley (US); -12 L Aberg (Swe); -11 R MacIntyre (Sco)

Selected others: -4 A Rai (Eng); Level W Clark (US); +1 J Day (Aus)

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Scottie Scheffler hit a sensational nine-under 63 as he capped a dominating year by retaining the Hero World Challenge with a six-shot winning margin.

The world number one, who won the Masters and Olympic gold in 2024, claimed a record-equalling ninth title of the year with a bogey-free round to triumph on 25 under.

The victory means he has won an incredible 42.9% of the 21 tournaments he has played in 2024.

“[That was] very satisfying,” he said after tying Tiger Woods (2000) and Vijay Singh (2004) for the most wins in a single season since 1950, although this event and the Olympics are not PGA Tour competitions.

“I did a lot of good stuff on the course, played a really solid round of golf.

“[It] feels nice to take a little break and come back and continue to play some pretty solid golf.”

Scheffler, who had not competed in a strokeplay event since winning the PGA Tour Championship in August, joined Woods (2006-2007) and Norway’s Viktor Hovland (2021-2022) as the only back-to-back winners of the 20-man invitational event at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas.

Scheffler, 28, birdied three of the first four holes and four of the final six as he romped to victory.

South Korea’s Tom Kim, who hit a 68, was a distant second while overnight leader Justin Thomas ended a shot further back in third.

Thomas, who remains without a win since claiming the 2022 US PGA Championship closed with a one-under 71.

The 31-year-old followed birdies at the first and fourth holes with bogeys at the par-three second and fifth.

That allowed Scheffler, who holed an eight-foot birdie at the opening hole, a tap-in birdie at the par-five third and a stunning birdie putt from just inside 50 feet at the fourth, to take a lead he would not relinquish.

“It has been a great year and a fun year,” added Scheffler.

“I have had a little bit of time to reflect, but I am not really sure how to assess it. It has just been pretty surreal, a lot of fun and I am just really grateful.”