Scottie Scheffler started 2024 right where he left off, firing a 6-under 66 on Sunday to win The American Express by four shots. The world No. 1 surged past 18-year-old amateur Blades Brown and the rest of the field with a clinical display at PGA West’s Stadium Course.
It’s Scheffler’s 20th PGA Tour victory in just four years, earning him lifetime membership. What’s more telling about his dominance? Nine of those 20 wins have come by four shots or more.
Scheffler now joins rare company. Only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have reached 20 wins and four majors before turning 30.
“Pretty wild,” Scheffler said. “It’s been a great start to my career. It’s been special. I try not to think about that stuff too much. I was just trying to do the things I needed to do to be prepared.”
The tournament featured a fascinating subplot with Brown, who finished high school just two weeks ago. He came to La Quinta after playing in a Korn Ferry Tour event in the Bahamas that wrapped up Wednesday — making him the first player to compete eight straight days in PGA Tour-sanctioned events.
Brown started Sunday one shot behind 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim and one ahead of Scheffler. But the fairy tale ending wasn’t meant to be.
The turning point came early. Scheffler stuck a baby 8-iron to 2 feet for birdie on the par-3 fourth. On the par-5 fifth, Brown’s tee shot found water, leading to a double bogey. Scheffler found the fairway and never looked back.
Over a brutal 11-hole stretch without a birdie, Brown’s challenge faded. He posted a final-round 74, dropping from contention to a tie for 18th — costing him a spot in next week’s field at Torrey Pines.
“Eight rounds I know sounds like a lot, but I was having a lot of fun,” Brown said. “You’re telling me I get to play in a PGA Tour event and to play with Scottie Scheffler and see him win it, that was insane.
“I got some things I got to sharpen up, and hopefully we see if we can do what Scottie’s doing.”
Jason Day made a Sunday charge with a 64, climbing 18 spots to share runner-up honors with Ryan Gerard (65), Matt McCarty (68) and Andrew Putnam (68).
Kim, who practices regularly with Scheffler at Royal Oaks in Dallas, also faltered at a crucial moment. Two shots back on the par-5 eighth, he needed two attempts to escape a greenside bunker, then made double bogey. A missed 3-footer for par on the next hole essentially ended his chances, though he rallied with three back-nine birdies to salvage a 72 and tie for sixth.
Scheffler kept his foot on the gas. He nearly holed a chip on the par-5 11th for a tap-in birdie, then stuffed a wedge to 2 feet on the 12th. By the time he reached the 13th tee, his lead was four shots.
His only real mistake came at the infamous par-3 17th “Alcatraz” hole, where his tee shot found the water. The resulting double bogey was merely a footnote in an otherwise dominant performance against the strongest American Express field in decades.
Scheffler now takes a week off before returning for three straight West Coast events, starting with the Phoenix Open. That’s where this remarkable run began four years ago with his first PGA Tour win in a playoff. His recent victories haven’t been nearly as close.
