ATLANTA — Scottie Scheffler capped the best year in golf in nearly two decades by winning the biggest prize in golf.

Scheffler was briefly challenged on Sunday at the Tour Championship but responded with three straight birdies to make victory seem as inevitable as it had all year. He closed with a 4-under 67 for a four-stroke victory over Collin Morikawa, winning the FedEx Cup and its $25 million prize.

That brought his seasonal earnings, including bonuses, to more than $62.3 million.

It was the best year since Tiger Woods won eight times in 2006, including six in a row and two majors, while coping with the death of his father. Scheffler’s eight victories included the Masters, The Players Championship, an Olympic gold medal and the Tour Championship, which finally allowed him to claim the FedEx Cup.

His seven PGA Tour titles are the most since Woods in 2007.

“Looking back at 2024, it was clearly one of the best individual years any player has had in a long time,” said Rory McIlroy.

This was the third straight year that Scheffler came to East Lake as the top seed, meaning he started the tournament at 10-under par with a two-stroke lead. Two years ago, he lost a six-stroke lead in the final round to McIlroy.

Scheffler led by at least five shots after each round. But there was a heartbreaking moment when storm clouds began to gather. He made two consecutive bogeys, the second on a sheer shank of a bunker on the reachable par-4 eighth hole. Morikawa birdied it, and a seven-stroke deficit after two holes was reduced to just two with 10 holes to play.

And then it was over.

Scheffler hit his tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 ninth for birdie. He wedged to 3 feet on No. 10 for birdie, then banked in a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 11th.

Just like that, his lead was back to five strokes. And when he hit a 15-foot eagle putt on the 14th hole, it was a matter of crossing the finish line.

Scheffler called the FedEx Cup a season-long race and was “stupid” because everything hinged on the final week at East Lake. There was no doubt that the FedEx Cup had a very capable champion.

Scheffler has finished outside the top 10 only three times in his 19 starts, with two runner-up finishes and seven PGA Tour titles.

“He’s the guy you have to beat every week,” Justin Thomas said. “I don’t think people understand how hard that is, when you’re expected to win, when you’re the favorite to win, when everything you do is being watched — good and bad — on the golf course, and how hard it is to get into your own little zone and your own little world and really tune out the noise.”

Morikawa won $12.5 million for second place. Sahith Theegala closed with a 64 to take third place, good for a $7.5 million bonus.