Scottie Scheffler wins Masters like by no means earlier than, together with Tiger Woods

Scottie Scheffler proved himself as one of the best participant on the planet on Sunday at Augusta Nationwide.

He received his second Inexperienced Jacket, profitable the 2024 Masters by 4 photographs over Ludvig Åberg because of a remaining spherical 4-under 68. Scheffler did so because of his superior ball-striking, sharp focus, and his potential to keep away from errors.

Two years in the past, he relied on that very same method to win the Masters by three strokes. The deficit would have been better if not for a four-putt double bogey on the 72nd gap.

Alas, Scheffler’s victory comes with nice historic significance. No participant has ever received The Masters twice in a three-year span by three strokes or extra, based on The Athletic’s Justin Ray.

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Photos

However, Scheffler joins beautiful firm of those that have received two Inexperienced Jackets in a three-year span. Eight gamers earlier than 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 lately, Bubba Watson, all achieved this throughout their illustrious careers, too.

However no person on that checklist received their two Masters titles by greater than three or extra strokes on each events.

And but, when Scheffler stood on the ninth tee Sunday, he sat at 7-under par and held a share of the lead with Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Åberg. Max Homa was proper there, too, as his birdie at 10 jumped him as much as 7-under.

Everybody figured we have been in for a historic Sunday at Augusta, with the contenders buying and selling blows on the back-nine, jockeying for the Inexperienced Jacket. However Scheffler delivered the primary punch on the par-4 ninth, nearly knocking it in for a hole-out Eagle, thus eliciting the most important roar of the week.

On the identical time, Morikawa, Scheffler’s enjoying accomplice, made his first of two pricey errors. He made a double bogey, because of a poor drive and a 3rd shot that he left within the greenside bunker.

Moments later, understanding Morikawa was on edge, Scheffler stored his foot on the gasoline. He went proper after the flag on the tenth, and one other birdie adopted.

He then made a bogey on the eleventh, traditionally probably the most difficult gap at Augusta Nationwide, however he didn’t make any grave errors.

Morikawa, then again, did. He discovered the pond that guards the left aspect of the inexperienced, which led to a double bogey and all however ended his probabilities.

Whereas Scheffler putted out for bogey, nonetheless, Homa needed to take an unplayable lie up forward on the par-3 twelfth. He sailed his tee shot right into a bush, resulting in a double bogey.

Photograph by Ben Jared/PGA Tour through Getty Photos

Moments earlier than that, Åberg, the one different contender, made a rookie mistake and suffered the identical destiny that Morikawa did at 11. He additionally hit his method into the pond and made a double bogey.

Everybody round Scheffler fell flat, leaving Scheffler on their lonesome on the prime.

Sensing a fair better alternative, Scheffler did what the nice gamers do on the twelfth gap. He took the road that Nicklaus and Woods all the time do, and hit his tee shot over the center bunker. He safely discovered the center of the inexperienced and two-putted for par.

By then, Scheffler held a three-shot lead going to the par-5 thirteenth, and it was all however over. The sport’s prime participant was not going to relinquish the lead.

Scheffler proved simply that, making straightforward birdies at 13, 14, and 16, which prolonged his result in untouchable proportions.

And now, Scheffler, the father-to-be, has etched his title into the historical past books with a second Inexperienced Jacket.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.