World No.1 Scottie Scheffler claimed a second green jacket at Augusta with a final round performance that will cement his status as one of the game’s greats.
Scheffler rarely put a foot wrong all tournament and watched as his chasers stumbled around Amen Corner on Sunday. The 27-year-old American was in a four-way tie for the lead before he made three consecutive birdies from the eighth hole. Despite a bogey at the 11th, Scheffler would go on to extend his lead as his opponents wilted on the back nine.
Closing with a four-under 68 to post an 11-under total, Scheffler was clearly the best golfer all week at Augusta. He beat Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who was playing his first major championship, by four shots. Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele tied for third at four-under.
Scheffler won his first Masters in 2022 and is the 18th multiple winner of the tournament.
FINAL SCORES
- 1 Scottie Scheffler -11
- 2 Ludvig Aberg -7
- T3 Tommy Fleetwood -4
- T3 Max Homa -4
- T3 Collin Morikawa -4
- T6 Cam Smith -2
- T6 Bryson DeChambeau -2
- 8 Xander Schauffele -1
- T9 Will Zalatoris E
- T9 Tyrell Hatton E
- T9 Cam Young E
AUSTRALIANS
- T6 Cam Smith -2
- T12 Cam Davis +1
- T22 Min Woo Lee +4
- T22 Adam Scott +4
- T30 Jason Day +5
- MC Jasper Stubbs (a)
And so it begins…
Strap yourselves in and pass the popcorn because the most glamourous week in golf awaits!
This year’s Masters is particularly special. It’s a rare opportunity to see the world’s best golfers from both the PGA and LIV tours compete. And not solely for eye-watering amounts of lucre either, but for the prestige of winning a green jacket.
Who’s gonna earn it this year? Find out…
Are Scottie Scheffler’s missed short putts a cause for concern?
It’s got to be worrisome for the world No.1. Missing a two-footer in the third round in Houston last week was Scottie’s latest gaffe, the kind of rushed mistake that many ardent hackers would weep over post round. What made it a story, however, was the fact Scottie eventually missed the play-off by one. But hey, the guy still won his previous two starts — including the Player’s Championship — when also missing a few short ones. It shows how strong his game is from tee to green and that alone makes Scottie a massive threat to win a second green jacket. But on Augusta’s treacherous greens under major pressure, two-footers generally carry much greater meaning. Scottie will be hoping any short-putt scar tissue that may have built up over the past month has been shed by the time Thursday rolls around at the Masters. Complicating matters is the wild four-putt Scottie took on the final green when winning the 2022 Masters. Brace yourself for a week of micro-assessments of Scottie’s putting stroke, but as Tiger said, ‘winning takes care of everything’.
Will Jon Rahm defend his Masters title and chalk up Legion XIII’s first major?
Rahm is only three events into his LIV career but hasn’t yet cracked the W column in LIV’s limited field, 54-hole tournaments. He won three times on the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing heading into last year’s Masters and his inability to win so far this year will irk the famously competitive Spaniard. Rahm considers himself the alpha among golf’s alphas and his Masters win last year highlighted how fierce the competitive fires burn within the now 29-year-old. In a 30-hole final Sunday in 2023, Rahm made Brooks Koepka, the bloke who pretty much owned the alpha space after winning four majors in the space of two years, look fragile. After becoming LIV’s headline signing in the off season, you feel Rahm’s whole season revolves around playing well in the majors. He’s way too smart and talented to not be somewhere in the frame on Sunday at Augusta. And while he’ll probably be wearing his Legion XIII LIV team uniform, you suspect it’ll only be about Jon Rahm this week.
Who can win this year even if they don’t bring their best?
Probably only a half dozen guys fall into this category and you’re looking at the best of the best. Rory, Rahm, Scheffler and Brooks all qualify on sheer class and grit. Viktor Hovland is another who has enough of a B-game to get the job done. And you’d take Dustin Johnson simply because of his extraordinary talent and uncluttered, see ball-hit ball mindset. Cam Smith also sneaks in because of his profound scrambling ability. And Ludvig Aberg probably deserves a guernsey because he’s a mega talent and his swing is so enticing and metronomic, nothing can really go too far wrong anyway. Guys like Bryson, Homa, Hideki, Fleetwood and Niemann probably don’t quite have the reserves needed to turn what could’ve been a round of 74 into a 70, which is the difference between a top 15 and winning. But the guy who looks unstoppable when everything is going right is US Open champ Wyndham Clark. When he’s feeling it, the game looks incredibly easy.
Cam Smith or Min Woo Lee?
Cam has the game to win anywhere and his brilliance on the greens gives him a huge advantage. Min Woo is clearly a world-class talent and exudes an X-Factor few players possess. Cam had a bright spot in Honkers last month when runner-up but has been slightly jittery in the other LIV events thus far. However, you feel like Min Woo needs to pay his dues before he breaks through in a major. Honestly, splitting our two best Aussie chances is like choosing your favourite kid, so how about Jason Day? He almost won in 2011 until Charl Schwartzel went nuts on the back nine and his stunning resurgence after an injury-enforced absence must be applauded. Only one problem: for diehard Aussie fans, Day does seem like the Steve Elkington of his generation. Adam Scott, Cam Davis and amateur Jasper Stubbs complete the six-strong Aussie assault.
Which Jordan Spieth will turn up at the Masters?
Jordan Spieth may be enigmatic but it doesn’t diminish the fact he’s one of the greatest ever players in the modern era. The first act of his career was mind-bogglingly successful. In 2015, as a second-year pro, he won the Masters and US Open and claimed the Tour Championship in an unburdened state of golfing euphoria. However, the following year he slipped up at the Masters when he blew a five-shot lead with nine holes to play to finish second to Danny Willett. That unfortunate episode could’ve inflicted some serious scar tissue but Spieth went on to win the Open Championship the following year. Spieth’s second act hasn’t been quite as successful, but the reality is a Spieth round is still a must-watch for entirely different reasons. His erratic driving and generally skittish play over the past five or so years has resonated with rusted-on golf fans, who marvel at Spieth’s savant-like recovery shots and exquisite skill. Is it going to be Spieth Act one or Spieth Act two who shows up at Augusta National this week? We’ll have to see but either way, it’ll be fun to watch.
Why can’t Rory get it done in majors?
Winning comes easy for Rory McIlroy because he is one of few players in the world to be gifted with almost everything. Long drives, beautifully precise irons, an immaculate short game and good with the flatstick. But for some reason, it hasn’t all clicked in major week for a while now. Rory plays around 20 tournaments each year but only four of them are majors. Is it just a numbers game? Maybe, because he’s won just about everywhere else and is a generational talent who really should’ve added another major to his tally of four by now. The problem is they don’t hand them out like tickets to your kid’s piano recital. Augusta is arguably his least favourite major venue because it constantly asks questions about his ability to control distance with his wedges and judgment of pace on the notoriously tricky greens (although he’s a better putter now with the help of Brad Faxon). A Rory win at Augusta seemed almost predetermined 10 years ago when he won his last major. But with all the bruising he’s suffered at Augusta over the years, maybe he’s made peace with the fact it just isn’t his place.
Is Tiger going to compete in this year’s Masters?
If you define “compete” as in tee it up and get through 72 holes around Augusta’s vertiginous terrain, it’s 50-50. Expecting Tiger to “compete” at the top of the leaderboard like he did at his peak? You’ll get London-to-a brick odds for that scenario. The problem is Tiger’s body is filled with metal. Even though he’s won majors with five different swings, there’s only so many times you can repair the critical tendons and joints that power a golf swing while retaining sufficient speed and flexibility in the muscles surrounding them. Tiger won the Masters in 2019 in one of the most extraordinary comeback performances in all of sport, but the injuries sustained in his 2021 car crash were the tipping point. Sadly, Tiger’s playing career seems like it’s fizzling out in a slow march to eventual retirement. But the crazy thing is you can never completely rule out the most dominant player in the history of the game, especially at Augusta where he’s won five times.
Who’s a roughie at this year’s Masters?
Nick Taylor. The Canadian will be playing just his second Masters but has won twice in the past nine months on the PGA Tour. His record in majors is puke-worthy but his best finish (T29) came at Augusta in 2020. Canadians are on quite a winning streak of late and Taylor seems built for the biggest moments. He holed a 72-foot eagle putt to win last year’s Canadian Open in a play-off and won the debauched and beer-soaked Waste Management Open in February, again in a play-off. No question Taylor is a dark horse and if he wins, it’ll be a Danny Willett kind of Masters week.
Who is the pick of the lefties this year?
Augusta National has traditionally been kind to left handers. Only five lefties have won majors and three of them own a green jacket. Why? Conceivably, it’s because the course sets up better for those who stand on the other side of the ball. The alignment of many greens catches out short right shots and long left shots — the stock-standard miss for righthanders. But when lefties miss in the same way, their balls find the green and stay out of trouble. Out of all the self-loathing lefties this year it’s hard to go past Brian Harman. He’s the current Open champion, goes extremely well at the Masters and, incidentally, appears to be Ricky Ponting’s Doppelganger. Harman will be joined by fellow left-handers Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir, who are all playing via the past champion category.
What are the odds of anyone repeating Ernie Els’ viral six putt of 2016?
I’m not sure you’d wish that on anyone, but it goes to show how Augusta’s wicked slopes can make even the greatest look silly. There was a collective gasp of horror when Ernie, a winner of four majors, took six putts to get down from three feet on his first hole at the 2016 Masters. Ernie flailed his ball beyond the cup four times before frustration set in. Then, half smiling with bemusement and embarrassment, he casually poked his putter at the ball one-handed from a foot away, only to see it lip out. He eventually tapped it in after half-a-duz putts and his nine remains the highest score ever recorded on the first hole at the Masters. The realisation his first green travails would become a viral hit was palpable as he left the green, resigned to his future as a golfing meme every Masters. While it was a nightmare for Els, the South African said his shirt sponsor that day still thanks him for the publicity.
Why can’t I get the Masters theme song out of my head?
Yikes! The syrupy composition you are referring to is actually called “Augusta” and has accompanied every Masters since 1982. It’s an earworm that signals the start of the serious golf season, which may be explain why it has penetrated your consciousness. I’m assuming it’s the instrumental version you’re interminably stranded with because the original version has lyrics. Wild! If you’re still hearing it in May, seek help immediately. Or try flushing it out with any Ed Sheeran song and be done with music forever.
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Written by Jamie Martin
Jamie Martin is currently locked in a battle to keep his handicap hovering around the mid-single digits. Despite his obvious short-game shortcomings, Jamie enjoys playing and writing about every aspect of golf and is often seen making practice swings in a mirror.
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