AUGUSTA, Ga. — Six weeks ago, Scottie Scheffler had yet to win a PGA Tour event.
Now, after a torrent of success, he has four wins and the world No. 1 ranking — and a green jacket.
Scheffler, 25, won the Masters on Sunday with an unshakable performance under cloudless skies.
With the seasoned Rory McIlroy surging up the leaderboard with a record-tying performance, Scheffler didn’t break a sweat and kept the rest of the field at arm’s length.
He did have a hiccup on the 18th green, however, four-putting for a double-bogey. He had plenty of cushion, winning by three strokes at 10 under par for the tournament.
McIlroy finished second at seven under, followed by Shane Lowry and Cameron Smith at five under and tied for third. Collin Morikawa finished alone in fifth.
With his wife, Meredith, watching from greenside and dabbing away her tears, Scheffler removed his cap and smoothed his hair as he walked up the 18th fairway to a standing ovation. He was the only competitor to play all four rounds under par.
Scheffler went from his first tour victory to the No. 1 ranking virtually overnight, in an unheard-of 42 days. He is the fifth golfer ranked No. 1 to win the Masters, joining Ian Woosnam (1991), Fred Couples (1992), Tiger Woods (2001, ’02) and Dustin Johnson (2020).
To further put it in perspective: Scheffler went to the same Dallas-area high school as Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and picked up his first career victory — the Waste Management Phoenix Open — on Super Bowl Sunday.
Meanwhile, Cameron Smith, who was in the final group with Scheffler, struggled down the stretch. Although Smith cut the lead to one early in the round, Scheffler inched away again and saw that lead widen to six shots when Smith triple-bogeyed the par-3 12th. Smith, who began the day three behind Scheffler, was looking to join Adam Scott (2013) as the only Australian players to win the Masters.
McIlroy had a tremendous day, shooting a 64 to tie the lowest final-round score in Masters history, one off the course record. He is a green jacket away from completing the career Grand Slam.
“It’s what you dream about, right?” he said of his spectacular Sunday. “You dream about getting yourself in position. I wasn’t quite close enough to the lead, I don’t think. Scottie is playing really, really well. To play as well as I did today and then to finish like this, I mean, it’s just absolutely incredible.”
McIlroy was paired with Morikawa, and they thrilled spectators with an array of brilliant shots.
First, they matched eagles on No. 13. Then, on the final hole, McIlroy holed out of greenside bunker for birdie, tossing his wedge with glee and throwing his hands in the air in triumph. The gallery erupted.
Later, he said that was “the happiest I’ve ever been on a golf course.”
Moments later, Morikawa too holed out for birdie from the bunker. McIlroy celebrated that one too, and the friends shared a laughing embrace.
McIlroy tightened his grip on second place at minus-seven with that shot, and Morikawa, who shot a 67, temporarily moved into a tie for third.
“Just having a chance, and then with Collin, we both played so well all day, and for both of us to finish like this, I was just so happy for him too,” McIlroy said. In the final round, the two were a combined 13 under.
“That was an incredible — I’ve never heard roars like on the 18th green. It was really cool.”
Said Morikawa: “I’ve been able to play with Tiger pre-COVID at Torrey. That was my first time, and I could experience what fans are like, but it’s nothing like out here and the echoes and the roars. And what you just saw on the last hole with me and Rory, that was the coolest thing in the world.”
Tiger Woods wrapped up his remarkable Masters comeback Sunday with an unremarkable 78 — matching his Saturday round — to put the finishing touches on his first competitive play in 17 months.
Woods, 46, is 14 months removed from a catastrophic rollover car accident that threatened his ability to walk, let alone return to tournament golf. So the five-time Masters winner had a deep appreciation Sunday for the ovation he got from the gallery as he walked up No. 18.
“It was an unbelievable feeling,” he said. “Just to have the patrons and the support out there. I wasn’t exactly playing my best out there, but just to have the support out there and the appreciation from all the fans.
“I don’t think words can really describe that given where I was a little over a year ago and what my prospects were at that time to end up here and be able to play in all four rounds. Even a month ago I didn’t know if I could pull this off.”
The pain he felt was evident as the tournament wore on and he walked with increasing rigidity.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I have those days where I just don’t want to do anything. It just hurts, but as I alluded to earlier, I’ve had a great team around me that are super positive and have motivated me and helped me around.
“It’s those days that are tough. The days I feel good are — those are easy days, but there have been more tough days than easy days. I just have to work through it, and like golf, in order to get better, you just have to go out there and put in the time.”
