Scottie Scheffler won the 88th Masters Tournament on Sunday, capping off an incredible weekend as he entered as the heavy betting favorite. Scheffler became the first Masters winner who entered the tournament as the odds on favorite since Tiger Woods in 2005.
Scheffler’s score of -11 was good enough to outlast Augusta National rookie Ludvig Åberg, who finished four strokes back at -7. Max Homa finished in a tie for third with Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood at -4.
The eventual champion fired a final round 68 to secure the victory.
pic.twitter.com/6a2QHQJuAb
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 14, 2024
Winner of his second Green Jacket, Scheffler’s weekend was filled with uncertainty as the imminent birth of his first child loomed. Wife Meredith was back home in Texas after being told by a doctor she was not to travel to Georgia with her husband, who is the world’s top-ranked golfer.
Still, the unwavering concentration of Scheffler, coupled with the spectacular play from his driver, irons, and wedges, along with the expertise of now-four-time winning caddie Ted Scott, led him to what was arguably one of his best performances to date.
Scheffler walked to the 18th tee with his comfortable lead, driving his tee shot into the fairway bunkers up the left side. A 9-iron approach put him in front of the green, where a bump-and-run and four-foot putt helped him capture his second Masters and his second Major Championship.
What a win. #themasters pic.twitter.com/kxtCFZgmMd
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 15, 2024
Despite the laser focus that Scheffler showed with a group of hungry competitors behind him, the world number one admitted he let himself take in the natural beauty of Augusta National during his final round:
“Enjoy the lead? No. I think, just like any human would, your mind starts to wander a little bit out there on the golf course. I mean, we’re out there for four or five hours at a time. You got to let your mind wander. I tried to soak in stuff around me today. I looked up at the trees at times. I looked up at the fans occasionally to try to soak in some of their energy.”
Being attached to the lead is not of utmost importance, Scheffler said. His friendly persona does not match his killer instinct on the course, where he describes the idea of staying offensive and keeping his foot on the gas:
“I just tried to keep pushing. I mean, I think if I would have played a little bit defensively it would have been a significantly different finish. I went for the green in two on 13, was able to make birdie. I attacked the pin on 14 and was able to make birdie. Went for it again on 15 and made a nice par, and I hit a really good shot on 16 to make birdie.”
“If I was just trying to make pars the whole back nine, I would have been standing on 18 having to make par and hoping Ludvig would only make a par. Around this golf course you have to stay aggressive. You have to hit the right shots. There’s no way around it out here. You can’t play too defensive, and you can’t play too aggressive. You just have to hit the right shots. And fortunately today I was able to do that.”
Scheffler joins an elite group of two-time Masters Champions, including Bubba Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Horton Smith.
Cover Image via ESPN
