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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
AUGUSTA, Ga. – A victory at the 2024 Masters seems inevitable for Scottie Scheffler.
The Texan has been ranked No. 1 in the world for more than 80 weeks during his short career. He has won eight times on the PGA Tour since February 2022, a stretch that made him the first golfer to win the Players Championship in consecutive years.
Scheffler has been considered perhaps the best striker in golf ever since tiger forest at his peak, and Scheffler’s magical hand on the lawns is also comparable to what you know.
Until Sunday, Scheffler had only one major championship victory, the 2022 Masters, which may be the only reason anyone doubts his status as the sport’s next-generation star.
After entering the final round of the 88th Masters on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club with a one-stroke lead, Scheffler pulled away from his competitors in the ninth round to win his second green jacket. after three years.
Scheffler shot a 4-under 68 over the final 18 holes to finish the tournament at 11 under and beat Sweden Ludvig Åberg by 4 strokes. Aberg, an amateur golfer at Texas Tech a year ago, is trying to become the first golfer to win the Masters in his debut since then. Zoeller matte in 1979. Aberg shot a 3-under 69 in the final round.
Max Homa, Collin Morikawa And Tommy Fleetwood tied for third at 4 under.
“I feel like I’m playing very good golf right now,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I’m in control of my emotions like I was before, which is a good place. I feel like I’m growing as a person on the golf course, it’s a good place.
“I think it’s hard to argue with the results of the last few weeks. I played a good game of golf. But I really try not to focus too much on the past.”
At age 27, Scheffler became the fourth youngest golfer to win multiple green jackets; only one Jack Nicklaus (25 years, 81 days), Woods (25 years, 100 days) and Seven Ballesteros (26 years, 2 days) younger.
Scheffler won his second Masters title in just his fifth start at Augusta National, the second-fewest starts needed to accomplish the feat in the tournament’s history. Horton Smith won two of the first three Masters in 1934 and 1936.
Scheffler also became the fifth golfer in Masters history to win multiple green jerseys with 3 or more strokes, along with Woods (1997 and 2002), Ballesteros (1980 and 1983), Nicklaus (1965 and 1972) and Sam Snead (1949 and 1952).
“Obviously, Scottie is an unbelievable golfer, and I think we all expect him to be there when it comes to the final holes of a tournament,” Aberg said. “He’s proven that over and over again and I think he makes us better. Obviously he makes you want to beat him, and that’s for me as well as everyone else in the field also.”
In the past 35 days, Scheffler has won three times against elite competition at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players and now the Masters.
“Honestly, I’m just pinching myself,” Scheffler caddy Ted Scott said. “I really don’t know what I’m seeing. This guy is special. He’s another special person. I think we all see it and we all question,’ Where does this come from?'”
What is Scheffler doing so well?
“What is he not good at?” Scott said. “I don’t know. I think his superpower is [that] super strong people are good at everything, and he seems to be good at everything. He really has no weaknesses. I think people have created weaknesses in his putting. He is not a weak batsman. He’s a good pitcher. He’s a very good pitcher.”
After his victory, Scheffler didn’t wait long to FaceTime with his wife, Meredith, who watched the finals at her aunt’s house in Dallas. Meredith Scheffler is expecting the couple’s first child later this month. Scheffler said he plans to fly home Sunday night, after which he is scheduled to play at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, starting Thursday.
“I’m going home, basking in this victory tonight,” Scheffler said. “For sure I will enjoy the birth of my first child. But like I said, I still love competing. My priorities will soon change here. My son or daughter will now be the priority.” main priority, along with my wife, so golf will now be the priority.” maybe fourth but I still enjoy playing, I have no intention of taking my eyes off the ball anytime soon, that’s for sure.
Scheffler said he spent Sunday morning with friends and tried to forget about golf, which wasn’t easy. At one point, his neck began to bother him with tension. He battled a neck injury at the Players Championship in March.
The final two pairings of Aberg-Homa and Scheffler-Morikawa reached Amen Corner (holes 11 through 13) just before 5 p.m. ET. When they left, only one of them — Scheffler — still had a shot at winning.
Aberg made his first big mistake when his sweep from 216 yards went too far left and bounced into the pond on the par-4 11th hole. He made double-bogey 6 and was 4 shots behind Scheffler.
Moments later, Morikawa took an approach shot from almost the same position as Aberg. He yelled, “Damn it,” after his ball flew away and watched it fall into the pond. The result was his second double bogey in three holes — he couldn’t get out of the greenside bunker on No. 9 on his first try — as he fell five strokes behind Scheffler.
“Greed got the best of me,” Morikawa said. “Nine, can’t miss it there and can’t leave it in the cellar. Eleven, just try to hit a perfect shot. It wasn’t like I was trying to force it at the time. I know where I stand. Well, it can’t do that.”
Then, on the 12th hole, where swirling winds, a narrow green and the dreaded Rae’s Creek have ruined the dreams of many a Masters hopeful over the years, Homa’s chances took a major blow. He didn’t hit a bad tee shot on the shortest par-3 on the course, but his ball bounced high off the sun-drenched green and got stuck in the vines on the bank.
After watching his ball bounce sharply off the green, Homa asked his caddy, Joe Greiner, “Where did it go?”
A few minutes later, Homa was found in the thick soil, but he had to admit a foul and was fined 1 stroke. His chip shot was caught on the fringe, and he two-putted to drop the double bogey figure to 5 under.
“The honest answer is it’s not fair,” Homa said. “I hit a really good golf shot and felt it wasn’t fair. I’ve seen much worse rolling down the hill. Well, the professional answer is these things happen.”
Scheffler made bogey of his own at the 11th minute when he missed the green, chipped to 9 feet and missed the par putt. He played it safe on the 12th and made par.
Scheffler ended all doubts about winning again when he made consecutive birdies on numbers 13 and 14. On the par-5 13th hole, he reached the green in two shots and two putts to one. The birdie moved to 9 under. Then, on the par-4 14th, he swung his approach shot with one foot and tapped in to get to 10 under.
“I never let myself be tied to the lead,” Scheffler said. “I just tried to keep pushing back. I mean, I think if I had played a little bit more defense the result would have been significantly different. I got the green in two at 13.” [and] could be a bird. I attacked the pin on hole 14 and was able to make birdie. Keep doing that on the 15th and get a good par.”
“If I had just tried to par the entire back nine, I would have been on 18th and had to make par and hopefully Ludvig would have only made a par.”
Scheffler scored another birdie on the par-3 16th hole, and what seemed inevitable for so long now became a reality.
