Scottie Scheffler had just won the Masters, and the celebrations were starting. After winning four strokes and earning his second green jacket on Sunday night at Augusta National Golf Club, he hugged his parents and other family members as he went off the 18th green.
Scottie Scheffler wins second major with four-shot victory:
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler captured the Masters for a second time, proving at Augusta National why he was the overwhelming pre-tournament favorite with a dominant display.
After leading by a shot the previous night, Scheffler finished four clear on 11 under with a four-under 68 on Sunday. Ludvig Aberg of Sweden shot 69 in his major debut to finish runner-up. Tommy Fleetwood of England (69), Collin Morikawa, and Max Homa of the United States (74) tied for third place. With a firm round, Fleetwood made a late push up the leaderboard and secured his best-ever result at the Masters.
But Scheffler was too far to catch. On the 18th green, the 27-year-old American displayed an uncommon amount of passion as he accepted the applause of the Augusta fans following his completion of his third consecutive Masters triumph. The 2022 winner could not have made it to the championship round.
Meredith Scheffler, his wife, is expected to give birth to their first child on Sunday. On Saturday, the Texan announced that he was ready to leave Augusta in the middle of the process if she gave delivery.
Scheffler remarked, “I love you, and I’m coming home,” to his wife at the Green Jacket distribution ceremony. I’ll try my best to be home soon.” He said: “I can’t put into words what it is like to win once more and what it will be like being a father for the first time.”
Scheffler Defends his Position when Competitors Falter:
Nobody has entered Augusta as much of a favorite since Tiger Woods’ dominance in the 2000s. That was until Scheffler.
He entered the year’s first major tournament riding high after two wins at the Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, as well as a second-place result at the Houston Open.
Because of his recent Masters victory and strong form, his odds were as low as 4-1 at the start of the week.
Even though he did not perform to the anticipated levels throughout the first three days, especially after a thrilling round on Saturday in which he overcame many errors, he was still leading heading into Sunday by a shot.
But he struggled to manage distance with his irons in the first few holes, and a bogey on the seventh hole sent him reeling along with Morikawa and Aberg. Homa’s birdie on the eighth put them in a four-way tie for the lead. However, Scheffler, who was in the group behind Aberg and Homa with Morikawa, birdied the same hole to take the lead once more at seven under.
Then, there was a magical moment that felt like it might be a turning point, and it was. On the ninth, Scheffler came dangerously close to holding an incredible 89-yard approach, showcasing incredible technique to twist the ball and roll it towards the pin using Augusta’s contours. This left him with a tap-in for consecutive birdies.
Scheffler made his third consecutive birdie on the tenth hole, but it was still too close to call as the leaders neared Amen Corner, the famous portion of the course that houses the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes. But he was out of the competition when he teed off on the short 12th hole.
Even though Scheffler had bogeyed the eleventh, his closest competitors, Aberg, Morikawa, and Homa, all suffered expensive double bogeys in around fifteen minutes. This gave Scheffler a three-shot advantage.
On the famous par-three 12th hole, Homa had a terrible bounce and ended it in the woods, giving him a one-shot penalty. Aberg and Morikawa also dragged their approaches into the water on the 11th hole.
Scheffler could unwind more after that, as birdies on holes 13, 14, and 16 all but sealed the championship. Aberg finished second after rallying with birdies on 13 and 14, ending his aspirations of being the third person to win on his maiden try in a major.
Before assisting Europe in defeating the US in Rome in September, the calm 24-year-old—who only began playing professionally ten months ago—was called a “generational talent” by European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. His precise ball striking is well-praised, and he demonstrated this past weekend why he should be a consistent Major League contender.
McIlroy Sees Another Chance Pass:
Although the UK and Northern Ireland players had not made much progress, Fleetwood, 33, persevered and was rewarded with a top-10 result.
Though Fleetwood performed well enough to feel confident heading into the US PGA Championship at Valhalla next month, he needed a more robust score to put himself in serious contention.
“I suppose I required a couple of extra pyrotechnics. However, the golf course wasn’t providing much information,” said Fleetwood, playing in his sixth Masters.
“Who knows if my turn will ever come, but all I can do is keep working to put myself there and have experiences like this.” Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland failed to close with a bang, prolonging his 10-year quest for the major championship that eludes him.
Between 2011 and 2014, the 34-year-old won four majors: the US Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship twice. However, he was never in the running to become only the sixth person to complete the career grand slam. With opening scores of 71, 77, and 71, McIlroy found playing in demanding circumstances challenging. He finished well short of par at four overs with a final-round score of 73.
“It hasn’t been my year, but I’ll keep coming back until it is my year,” he stated. Playing in his first event since undergoing shoulder surgery in September 2016, winner Danny Willett faltered from a solid start to finish nine over. England’s Tyrrell Hatton finished level par after a final-day 69. Matt Fitzpatrick finished four over.
Rahm and Woods Struggle Even with Support:
Out of the sixty players who made the cut to play all four rounds, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods finished last, shooting five over 77 to finish 16 overall.
The 15-time champion, who had hardly played in the previous year while recovering from injuries he incurred in a vehicle accident in February 2021, considered himself fortunate even to make it to the weekend.
Nonetheless, crowded galleries trailed Woods around the locations of some of his most well-known victories, cheering him off the last green and hoping for many more opportunities to see the 48-year-old at Augusta in the future.
The situation worsened for the defending champion, Jon Rahm, who was already out of contention after recording his highest total in eight Masters appearances.
After winning last year, the 29-year-old Spaniard unexpectedly moved to the breakaway LIV Golf Tour. He shot 76 and ended nine over.
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