Scheffler gets Masters green jacket to go with No. 1 ranking

AUGUSTA, Ga. –

Scottie Scheffler looked like a Masters Champion before he put on his green jacket. He was calm and collected as he worked his way through the most stressful course in major championship golf.

Sunday morning was different. This proved to be the most difficult test he faced all day.

“I cried like a baby this morning. I was so stressed out. I didn’t know what to do,”Scheffler declared after winning his first major. “I was sitting there telling (wife) Meredith, “I don’t think I’m ready for this… and I just felt overwhelmed.”

Then he finished his two-month-long struggle with the most remarkable feat of all: he led the entire weekend and walked to a 1-under-71. There was only one lapse in concentration at end, but that didn’t matter — for a three shot victory over Rory McIlroy.

A guy who had won three of his five previous tournaments, who reached No. Why would you suddenly doubt the ability of a man who had won three of his previous five tournaments?

“I think because it’s the Masters. I dreamed of having a chance to play in this golf tournament. I teared up the first time I got my invitation in the mail,” Scheffler said.

“If you’re going to choose a golf tournament to win, this would be the tournament,”He said. “You don’t know how many chances you’re going to get. And so having a chance — I had a five-shot lead on Friday and then a three-shot lead going into today — I don’t know if you get better opportunities than that. You don’t want to waste them.”

He felt at peace between the ropes, and he never allowed himself to enjoy it until he took the famous walk up the 18th fairway with his ball 40 feet away, and a five shot lead.

“And you saw the results of that,”He laughed about his four-putt double birdie, which only had a small impact on the victory margin.

McIlroy jumped out of the bunker on the last hole to record a 64-hole final round. He was now within three shots. His only hope of a career Grand Slam was to beat the Sunday pressure at Augusta National and get to Scheffler.

No chance.

Not Sunday. Not for the last four calendar days. Not the past two months.

“You get on those hot streaks, and you just got to ride them out because they, unfortunately, don’t last forever,” Justin Thomas said. “But he is doing it in the biggest tournaments. … It’s really, really impressive to see someone that young handle a moment this big so easily.”

It’s amazing to think that Scheffler was still trying for his first PGA Tour title 56 days ago. He’s now won four of the six he has played. This is the longest stretch since Jason Day in summer 2015.

Everyone else owned Sunday theater, thrilling and sad.

Scheffler fought through a nervous moment by chipping in for birdie. He made key putts to keep Cameron Smith away and didn’t seem tense even though he was trying to hit short putts at end.

McIlroy was second. Smith felt like he let one go. Smith was still in the game, three strokes behind the lead, when he dropped his 9-iron in Rae’s Creek at the par-3 12th hole for triple bogey, ending his hopes.

“Just a really bad swing at the wrong time,”Smith said.

Smith finished with a 73, and was tied for third with Shane Lowry who birdied the 18th for an even 69.

Scheffler was just getting started when Tiger Woods was finished. Anyone who left was missing a lot of entertainment. Woods found comfort in playing four rounds in his inaugural tournament since his right leg was broken in a car accident in February 2021. He shot 78 and was 13-over301, his highest 72-hole score at The Masters and the furthest (23 holes) he has ever finished behind the winner.

Scheffler and Ian Woosnam became the first players to win a major in 1991. 1.

This should have been obvious to everyone. He won the Phoenix Open after a playoff on Super Bowl Sunday. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a win at Bay Hill. He rose to No. By winning the Match Play in Texas, he rose to No.

And now.

“He’s sort of been head and shoulders above everyone else this week,” McIlroy said.

Scheffler, who finished at 10-under 278 was awarded $2.7 million from the prize fund of $15 million. This brings his total to $8.872,200 in six races.

Scheffler’s moment of truth came in the first round. It was no less significant than any other.

With a three-shot lead in the final round, Smith opened with two straight birdies. Scheffler then attempted to make the same with Smith from the pine needles left side of the third fairway, but Scheffler failed to hit the target and rolled back downhill.

His pitch was racing towards the hole when it hit into the pin for an unlikely birdie. Smith made bogey with a two-shot swing from the same position.

The rest of the way, no one came closer to three. Only the contestants changed.

The 12th green is still the most interesting par 3 in golf. This hole has seen more comebacks and collapses than it has been. Smith was the latest victim.

Coming off birdie at No. 11 was his shot, and he was still holding it in the air. He slowly closed his eyes twice as the club splashed into Rae’s Creek. Smith’s next shot was not as good, but it was still dry. Smith’s hopes ended there with an impressive triple bogey.

Standing on the 12th hole, he was three back. He was eight back after three holes.

McIlroy was the only person who could give him hope. To complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy had to match the Masters’ best final round and get some help by Scheffler. He got only one of those, so he had to settle with his first Augusta silver medal.

He did, however, create some Sunday magic. McIlroy went bunker to bunker on the 18th hole. He left himself right at the green and aimed about 25 feet from the flag. It rode down the slope all the time to the hole, causing one of the loudest roars in the week.

Morikawa followed McIlroy in from the same bunker, but from a different angle. McIlroy couldn’t help but laugh.

“This tournament never ceases to amaze,” McIlroy said. McIlroy stated, “That’s as joyful as I’ve been on a course of golf right there. It was just a chance. Collin and I played so well throughout the day, and I was so happy for him to finish this way.

“I’ve never heard roars like on the 18th green.”

Scheffler had the best.

Scheffler had five holes ahead of him, but there was no evidence that he was anything other than the smooth, smart operator who took control Friday in the most difficult conditions to build a five shot lead and never lost.