Prime-ranked Scottie Scheffler captured his first main title on Sunday by successful the Masters in dominating style, holding agency down the stretch to grab the inexperienced jacket after Tiger Woods accomplished his comeback from extreme leg accidents. Scheffler fired a final-round one-under-par 71 to complete 72 holes on 10-under 278 and defeat four-time main winner Rory McIlroy by three strokes with Australian Cameron Smith and Eire’s Shane Lowry sharing third on 283. “It was an extended day, a troublesome day for me,” Scheffler mentioned. “I simply tried to maintain my head down and execute my pictures.”
Scheffler, who solely gained his first PGA title in February, holed a spectacular chip-in birdie from 87 ft on the par-4 third to blunt an early cost by Smith, final month’s Gamers Championship winner.
“It was not a shot I anticipated to see go in nevertheless it obtained issues off and rolling for me,” Scheffler mentioned.
He additionally birdied the 14th and sank a 14-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifteenth to sign there could be no collapse to open a door for McIlroy, chasing an Augusta Nationwide win to finish a profession Grand Slam.
Scheffler endured an agonizing double bogey on the 18th gap, needing three putts from inside 5 ft earlier than lastly sinking the putt to safe his breakthrough main triumph.
“I did not wish to break my focus,” Scheffler mentioned. “The minute I did was on 18 inexperienced after I lastly obtained on there and I had a five-shot lead and was like, ‘All proper, now I can get pleasure from this.’ And also you noticed the outcomes of that.”
The 25-year-old American took a $2.7 million high prize from a $15 million purse and joined 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam as the one gamers to win majors of their debut occasions as world primary.
Scheffler is barely the fifth participant to win the Masters whereas atop the rankings, becoming a member of Welshman Woosnam and Individuals Fred {Couples}, Dustin Johnson and Woods, whose epic damage fightback dominated consideration all week.
Spectators gave Woods a standing ovation on the 18th inexperienced for his astonishing return to golf 14 months after a automotive crash that left him hospitalised for weeks and unable to stroll for months.
“I wasn’t enjoying my finest however to have their assist on the market, I do not suppose phrases can describe it,” Woods mentioned.
The 15-time main winner fired weekend 78s, his worst Masters rounds, to complete along with his highest Augusta Nationwide 72-hole rating of 301 and in a worst-ever forty seventh place.
However the reality Woods was in a position to stroll the course and play in any respect was nothing wanting unbelievable given the 46-year-old medical marvel had not performed a high occasion for 17 months and feared amputation of a proper leg now held along with rods, plates, pins and screws.
“Given the place I used to be a little bit over a yr in the past and what my prospects have been, to finish up right here and be capable of play in all 4 rounds, even a month in the past, I did not know if I might pull this off,” Woods mentioned.
Woods arrived at Augusta chasing a record-tying sixth Masters crown and departed figuring out he had the fortitude to play majors once more.
“It has been a troublesome street and one which I am very grateful to have the chance to have the ability to grind via,” Woods mentioned.
Six begins, 4 wins
Scheffler gained his first US PGA title at February’s Phoenix Open, added one other final month at Bay Hill and overtook Spain’s Jon Rahm for the summit by capturing the WGC Match Play crown two weeks in the past.
Smith, who missed an opportunity to affix Woods in 2001 as the one gamers to win the Gamers and Masters in the identical yr, opened with back-to-back birdies to trim Scheffler’s result in one stroke, however faltered with bogeys on the third and fourth holes.
“Simply too many errors,” Smith mentioned. “These two bogeys actually slowed me down.”
Each birdied from about 5 ft on the par-4 seventh and bogeyed the tenth.
Smith sank a 15-foot birdie putt at 11 however his tee shot on the par-3 twelfth discovered a watery grave in Rae’s Creek on the way in which to a triple bogey to fall six adrift.
“At 12, that was the event,” Smith mentioned.
Scheffler, in the meantime, parred his means via Amen Nook, a deadly three-hole stretch the place Scheffler sank par putts from seven ft at 11, 9 ft at 12 and missed a five-foot birdie putt on the par-5 thirteenth.
The par saves thwarted a dramatic run by McIlroy, who delivered his finest Masters spherical with a bogey-free 64 that included a 10-foot eagle putt at 13 and a 54-foot birdie chip-in from a greenside bunker on the 18th.
“That is as pleased as I’ve ever been on a golf course proper there,” McIlroy mentioned after his finest main end since a share of second on the 2018 British Open. He hasn’t gained a significant since 2014.
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