With the season now complete it feels right to look back at the standout victories outside the majors and the Tour Championship. Here are the five that shone brightest.
5. Rory McIlroy – The Players Championship
Rory still finds his way onto every list. With all the noise around his Grand Slam achievement many forgot he also picked up a second Players title. The Players is often called golf’s fifth major which puts Rory in a fascinating conversation about unofficial major counts. He won it in dramatic fashion too returning on Monday for a three hole playoff against JJ Spaun and holding firm. The win capped a stunning early season run that included victories at Pebble Beach Sawgrass and Augusta in just over two months.
4. Chris Gotterup – Scottish Open
Everyone loves a surprise and Chris Gotterup delivered a beauty. After struggling all year he arrived at Renaissance with few expectations yet walked away with the biggest win of his career. He stared down McIlroy and Wyndham Clark in the final round and never blinked powering his way to a deserved second PGA Tour title.
3. Justin Thomas – RBC Heritage
Justin Thomas needed this win and he played like it. His playoff victory over Andrew Novak marked his first tour title since the 2022 PGA Championship and completed a gritty comeback from a long slump. He opened with a brilliant 61 then sealed the playoff with a putt from over twenty feet that sent the crowd wild.
2. Adam Schenk – Bermuda Championship
This was courage at its finest. Schenk entered the week deep in FedEx Cup trouble and staring at Q school. In brutal winds he kept calm and shot level par to claim his first win on his 243rd attempt. Considering the stakes and conditions it was one of the most inspirational victories of the year.
1. Scottie Scheffler – CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pure dominance. Scheffler had not won all year and arrived with talk of a slump swirling around him. He answered with a flawless wire to wire victory at 31 under that tied the all time record for the fewest strokes in a PGA Tour event. He won by eight shots and gained a stunning amount on approach. It was the kind of performance that makes other players wonder how they can ever catch him.