Scottie Scheffler walks up the 9th green during the final round of the 2024 Masters. | Photo by Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler turned in a historic performance at Augusta National, proving to everyone why he is the best player in the world.
Scottie Scheffler proved himself as the best player in the world on Sunday at Augusta National.
He won his second Green Jacket, winning the 2024 Masters by four shots over Ludvig Åberg thanks to a final round 4-under 68. Scheffler did so thanks to his superior ball-striking, sharp focus, and his ability to avoid mistakes.
Two years ago, he relied on that same formula to win the Masters by three strokes. The deficit would have been greater if not for a four-putt double bogey on the 72nd hole.
Alas, Scheffler’s victory comes with great historical significance. No player has ever won The Masters twice in a three-year span by three strokes or more, according to The Athletic’s Justin Ray.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler celebrates his win at the 2024 Masters.
Nevertheless, Scheffler joins exquisite company of those who have won two Green Jackets in a three-year span. Eight players before him have achieved this, with Horton Smith first doing so in 1934 and 1936.
Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and most recently, Bubba Watson, all achieved this during their illustrious careers, too.
But nobody on that list won their two Masters titles by more than three or more strokes on both occasions.
And yet, when Scheffler stood on the 9th tee Sunday, he sat at 7-under par and held a share of the lead with Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg. Max Homa was right there, too, as his birdie at 10 jumped him up to 7-under.
Everyone figured we were in for a historic Sunday at Augusta, with the contenders trading blows on the back-nine, jockeying for the Green Jacket. But Scheffler delivered the first punch at the par-4 9th, almost knocking it in for a hole-out Eagle, thus eliciting the biggest roar of the week.
At the same time, Morikawa, Scheffler’s playing partner, made his first of two costly mistakes. He made a double bogey, thanks to a poor drive and a third shot that he left in the greenside bunker.
Moments later, knowing Morikawa was on edge, Scheffler kept his foot on the gas. He went right after the flag at the 10th, and another birdie followed.
He then made a bogey at the 11th, historically the most challenging hole at Augusta National, but he did not make any grave mistakes.
Morikawa, on the other hand, did. He found the pond that guards the left side of the green, which led to a double bogey and all but ended his chances.
While Scheffler putted out for bogey, however, Homa had to take an unplayable lie up ahead on the par-3 12th. He sailed his tee shot into a bush, leading to a double bogey.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images
Max Homa works with a rules official on the 12th hole.
Moments before that, Åberg, the only other contender, made a rookie mistake and suffered the same fate that Morikawa did at 11. He also hit his approach into the pond and made a double bogey.
Everyone around Scheffler fell flat, leaving Scheffler all alone at the top.
Sensing an even greater opportunity, Scheffler did what the great players do on the 12th hole. He took the line that Nicklaus and Woods always do, and hit his tee shot over the middle bunker. He safely found the middle of the green and two-putted for par.
By then, Scheffler held a three-shot lead going to the par-5 13th, and it was all but over. The game’s top player was not going to relinquish the lead.
Scheffler proved just that, making easy birdies at 13, 14, and 16, which extended his lead to untouchable proportions.
And now, Scheffler, the father-to-be, has etched his name into the history books with a second Green Jacket.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
