World primary Scottie Scheffler has claimed his second Masters victory, after 2022, with a near-flawless last spherical at Augusta Nationwide.
In an impressive show of ball-striking, Scheffler had a affected person begin to the spherical earlier than blasting clear after the flip, carding a four-under 68 to complete 11-under general and sweep the sector by 4 photographs.
Scheffler turns into the second-fastest to say a second Masters win, with this triumph coming in simply his fifth profession begin on the well-known Georgia course.
And the 27-year-old matches Tiger Woods as the one males to win the Masters twice whereas being the world’s primary ranked golfer.
24-year-old Swede Ludvig Aberg, competing in his first main after turning skilled solely midway by means of 2023, cemented his fame as a rising star of the game with a formidable 69 to complete seven-under general.
Scheffler mentioned: “I did my greatest to remain calm on the market. I attempted to remain affected person on the course… Ludvig performed nice right this moment, he made a superb transfer on me on the again 9 and I used to be capable of maintain on.”
Scheffler’s spouse Meredith – the pair had been highschool sweethearts – is 9 months pregnant and was absent from this event because the pair await their first little one.
“I’m coming dwelling,” he mentioned. “I’ll be dwelling as fast as I can.”
He added: “It’s a really very particular time for each of us. I can’t put into phrases (what it means) to win this event once more. I actually can’t put into phrases what it’ll imply to turn out to be a father for the primary time.”
Collin Morikawa carded a 74 to complete on four-under general, tied with Max Homa after a one-over 73, and Tommy Fleetwood with a 69.
Australia’s Cameron Smith shared sixth with Bryson DeChambeau on two-under general, Smith carding a 71 and DeChambeau 73.
Simply eight gamers had been below-par for the event, a mark of the issue of the famed Augusta Nationwide.
After seven holes, Scheffler was one-over for the spherical, having struggled to seek out greens in regulation within the opening levels. Because the chasing pack discovered type, the race for the inexperienced jacket appeared set for an exhilarating end.
And on the flip – after 9 holes, that’s – Scheffler was in a three-way tie for the lead, having sparked his spherical into life with a superb strategy shot on the ninth.
“I hadn’t hit many good iron photographs, which was a bit uncommon for me,” he mentioned. “Going to quantity 9 it was good to get that feeling of hitting a pleasant shot… that set me up for the again 9.”
However his rivals crumbled underneath a wave of double-bogeys as Scheffler surged clear, with 4 birdies and a single bogey on the second 9.
Aberg had a double-bogey on 11 after discovering the water. Collin Morikawa suffered a double on the par-four ninth gap, then copied Aberg with a double on 11 after additionally discovering the water.
And Max Homa then suffered an identical destiny on 12, carding a double after sending his ball deep into the bushes.
It meant that Scheffler, with three-straight birdies on holes 9, ten, and eleven, roared out to a 3 shot lead and by no means appeared again.
“His stardom is confirmed,” commentator Jim Nantz mentioned after he sealed the win on the ultimate gap.
Scheffler has now gained in three of his final 4 begins (tied second within the different), signalling the beginning of a brand new period of dominance — the likes of which we haven’t seen since Tiger Woods in his prime.
“He’s the best participant on the planet. It’s not shut,” wrote Dan Rapaport in his parting ideas for Barstool Sports activities.
Aberg mentioned: “I got here out and I used to be very nervous, I used to be shaking a bit on the primary tee… it’s a privilege to have the ability to hit all these photographs out right here.”
“It reveals that we’re doing a variety of great things. Ending properly within the Masters is a dream come true… I’m tremendous happy with myself and the crew and all of the work that we’re doing.”
Watch each spherical of The Masters LIVE & Unique on Fox Sports activities, accessible on Kayo. New to Kayo? Begin Your Free Trial Right now >
Former Open champion Smith turned the lead Australian within the area when he holed out from the greenside bunker at No.2 to achieve three-under — 4 photographs behind chief Scottie Scheffler on the time.
A bogey at No.5 stifled his momentum, however he made par on each gap of the rest of a stable spherical.
Elsewhere, Australia’s Cam Davis has did not contend on the ultimate day, going out with four-straight pars adopted by a bogey. A birdie at No.8 pulled him again to one-under, and he appeared set for a top-ten end just for a double-bogey on 17. His 75 noticed him end one-over for the event and in a tie for twelfth.
Adam Scott’s weekend redemption has additionally continued with the 2013 champion carding a nice five-under 67 within the last spherical to complete on four-over, tied for twenty second with fellow Australian Min Woo Lee.
Lee had a three-under last spherical, as did Jason Day who completed the event at five-over in a tie for thirtieth.
Observe all of the motion in our stay weblog beneath!
LIVE BLOG: Observe the most recent updates and highlights from the ultimate spherical at The Masters!
TIGER DRAWS MATINEE CROWDS BUT HIS ROLE IN GOLF IS CHANGING
He wore his trademark crimson shirt for the ultimate spherical of the Masters and drew packed crowds, however this was a Tiger Woods morning matinee present at Augusta with Sunday’s actual blockbuster nonetheless hours away.
Swarms of followers, so hardly ever seen at 9:35 am on the ultimate day at Augusta — a full 5 hours earlier than the leaders had been because of tee off — had been proof, if any had been wanted, that Woods stays golf’s high box-office draw.
However his scorecard over the ultimate two rounds of this 12 months’s Masters instructed one other story — the reasonably unhappy story of a fading star, now not able to competing with the most effective over 4 rounds on the well-known previous course the place he has gained 5 titles.
A ten-over par 82 on Saturday wrecked any likelihood of a final-round cost and when he triple bogeyed the fifth on Sunday and adopted with a bogey at six, there was the danger of Woods venturing into embarrassing territory.
However displaying all of his skilled pleasure, deep course information and nonetheless sharp method, Woods steadied the ship with pars till one other bogey on the fifteenth as he cared a five-over 77.
He left the 18th inexperienced to an enormous ovation from the group but additionally in final place on the leaderboard, 16-over for the event.
“It doesn’t take a lot to get out of place right here. Sadly, I obtained out of place loads yesterday and a pair instances right this moment,” mentioned Woods, who was nonetheless happy along with his effort over the 4 rounds.
His battle by means of 23 holes on Friday to make the lower for a document twenty fourth time on the Masters, was proof that his aggressive spirit stays as sturdy as ever however his collapse got here within the third spherical along with his Masters-worst 82.
“It was a superb week. It was a superb week throughout,” he mentioned. “Coming in right here, not having performed a full event in a really very long time, it was a superb battle on Thursday and Friday. Sadly yesterday it didn’t fairly end up the best way I wished.”
DeChambeau sinks WILD birdie shot at 18 | 00:42
– Bodily torture –
As he tends to his aches and pains over the approaching days, the 48-year-old might ponder whether it is actually value placing himself by means of the bodily torture of what for him has turn out to be an endurance take a look at.
However, as but, he reveals no indication of being able to name it a day, saying his plans embody the following three majors.
“I’m going to do my homework going ahead at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon… that’s form of the sport plan,” he mentioned.
“Simply maintain lifting, maintain the motor going, maintain the physique shifting, maintain getting stronger, maintain progressing. Hopefully the follow classes will maintain getting longer.”
Subsequent 12 months will mark the thirtieth anniversary of Woods’ first look on the Masters, as an novice in 1995 when he completed forty first.
The next 12 months, Woods returned to Augusta, as a rookie skilled, and promptly gained the event, launching his period of domination of the game that has included 5 Masters wins.
Woods has 15 main titles, the newest his astonishing comeback win on the Masters in 2019 — his first main triumph in 11 years and one which provided the tantalising promise of a wonderful late profession revival regardless of the wear and tear and tear on his physique.
However it’s now abundantly clear that the automotive crash he suffered in 2021 and the intense accidents he acquired have made such a return distant.
The possibilities of Woods having a major function in the way forward for the game, divided because the emergence of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf as a rival to the PGA Tour, seem more likely.
Woods was a part of the latest assembly within the Bahamas between a gaggle of PGA Tour coverage board participant members and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the top of the Saudi Public Funding Fund who bankroll LIV.
The 2 rival excursions are formally in talks over a possible merger and Woods mentioned the gathering within the Caribbean in March had been worthwhile.
“I don’t know if we’re nearer, however actually we’re headed in the best course,” he mentioned. “That was a really constructive assembly, and I feel each side got here away from the assembly feeling constructive.”
FINAL ROUND PREVIEW
High-ranked Scottie Scheffler holds a one-shot lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Masters, with two Australians nonetheless in competition because the motion at August attracts in the direction of an in depth.
5 Individuals sit inside the highest six on the leaderboard, with Collin Morikawa only one stroke off Scheffler after deciding to change to a unique punter earlier than the second spherical.
That gamble actually paid dividends as Morikawa shot a three-under 69 on Sunday to maneuver forward of Max Homa (-5), Ludvig Åberg (-4), Bryson DeChambeau (-3) and Xander Schauffele (-2).
Schauffele is degree at two-under alongside Cam Davis, who has been Australia’s main contender all weekend after his opening three-under-par 69 within the opening spherical.
Fellow Australian Cameron Smith, whose Masters preparation was disrupted by a bout of meals poisoning, additionally stays within the hunt after a second straight spherical of even par 72.
It places the 2022 British Open champion in a tie for ninth and 6 photographs off the lead.
Talking forward of the ultimate spherical, Davis — who recorded two birdies early on Sunday earlier than dropping 4 photographs after the flip — mentioned he was “fairly proud” to stroll away at one-over for the day.
“It was taking part in robust, however I really feel fairly proud strolling away with 1-over after a couple of, it felt like, disasters whereas I used to be on the market,” he mentioned.
Davis had remained fairly composed your entire weekend, not trying to get too far forward of himself or place any further concentrate on who’s forward of him on the leaderboard.
That was the case as soon as once more when Davis was requested if he had any message to ship dwelling to any Australians tuning in on Monday morning to see if he can problem the frontrunners.
Day pressured to take away vest by Augusta? | 02:32
“I’m attempting my hardest. It’s laborious on the market, however I’m giving it all the pieces I’ve obtained,” he mentioned.
“I really feel like right this moment I wasn’t laying up, and I used to be giving it a superb crack. Tomorrow hopefully we’ll make the best choices within the moments and are available away with a spherical that’s pretty much as good as we will make it. I’m attempting, however it will be superior to have an incredible day tomorrow.”
Smith, in the meantime, mentioned he feels “most likely the most effective” he has shortly in the case of his ball hanging forward of the ultimate spherical.
“I feel I’m nonetheless within the golf event,” he mentioned.
“… It’s just one or two their means and one or two my means, and it’s actually shut. Simply obtained to maintain grinding it out.”
With that in thoughts, Smith mentioned he isn’t going to make the error of going out with an attacking mentality to attempt make up floor rapidly.
“I imply, you’ll be able to’t in the mean time,” he mentioned.
“Should you begin taking part in the golf course that means, I can see the place that heads. I’ve been down that highway earlier than.
“I’d wish to assume I’m a reasonably sensible golfer. I’ve simply obtained to maintain doing what I’m doing, hitting it to fifteen, 20 ft, and hopefully they go in tomorrow.”
Adam Scott (+4, T26), Min Woo Lee (+7, T41) and Jason Day (+8, T45) would be the first Australians to tee off earlier than Smith and Davis at 3.55am and 4.05am AEST respectively.