Former Longhorn Scottie Scheffler left the door open with just ten holes left in the biggest tournament of the year.
After a scintillating -6 first round that catapulted the 2022 Masters Champion to the top of the leaderboard, he was only -1 in the ensuing 44 holes, with both a double bogey and an eagle within the span of four holes on Saturday, winning his second Masters in just three years.
Heading into the ninth hole of the final round at Augusta National on Sunday, the pressure was palpable. The former Texas golf legend held a mere one-shot lead over 24-year-old Swede Ludvig Åberg, who was making his first appearance in a major championship.
He hit the fairway with his drive, as he did 78.6% of the time across his four rounds at Augusta, but what was truly remarkable was his approach shot. After gauging it for a few moments with his caddy, he decided to use his wedge, perfectly placing the ball on the green with backspin, nearly sending it into the hole.
While it is debatable whether this was Scheffler’s best shot in his four rounds at Augusta, it was likely his most consequential. After his nonchalant tap-in for birdie, he was two shots ahead going into the turn with the packed crowd chanting his name. It was at this point that many in the crowd and millions watching around the world came to the same conclusion; this was now Scheffler’s green jacket to lose.
“I’m most proud of how I fought this week,” Scheffler told ESPN’s Marty Smith in an interview following the final round on Sunday. “This week was different than it was two years ago. I felt like I had some ups and downs, I feel like I made some mistakes that I felt like I shouldn’t have made, but I bounced back really well.”
He would go on to birdie four times on the back nine, bogeying just once, further entrenching himself as the world’s No. 1 golfer.
“This year, I kinda made it my goal to not soak any of it in until I got done,” Scheffler said. “Two years ago, I made a bit of a fool of myself (by) four-putting the last hole, so this year it was nice getting it in there in only one. You know, I made it my goal all day to not have any lapses, stay focused, and I did a really good job of that today.”
However, there was something larger at stake for the now two-time major champion in his pursuit of his second green jacket. Scheffler’s wife and high school sweetheart, Meredith, is due any day now with the couple’s first child. Scheffler said he was prepared to leave Augusta if Meredith went into labor, even if he was in the lead.
“You know, something tells me in a couple years my kid is probably not going to care very much,” Scheffler said when asked if his child would care about him winning the Masters days before his or her birth. “Daddy’s accomplishments are whatever they are. I think it’s more important for me to just be a good father than to accomplish things out here on the golf course, but it’ll be nice being able to bring them back here for a long time, hopefully.”
The former Longhorn has now won two majors since joining the PGA Tour, cementing himself as one of the best with his green jacket victory.
