Masters Tournament | Scottie Scheffler, the only possible winner

This text could have been written at the beginning of last week because Scottie Scheffler’s victory at the Masters Tournament was so obvious. However, that does not detract from the greatness of the feat accomplished on Sunday afternoon. On the contrary, this victory is undoubtedly the most spectacular since that of Tiger Woods in 2019.

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Scheffler showed up to Augusta National with a ton of pressure on his shoulders. Since the start of the 2024 season, he is by far the best golfer. Beyond his status as the first player in the world rankings, he rises above his peers through his ability – read “superpower” here – to give the best of himself during the most important events.

This victory is his third this season in his ninth tournament. He also won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. Thanks to his final score of -11 at the Masters Tournament, the 27-year-old won the three most prestigious events at the start of the season.

The most impressive thing about this victory is not only to have admirably ignored the pressure, but also to have managed to confirm its domination. The golf world hasn’t seen anything like this since Woods’ hegemony in the early 2000s.

The month of May hasn’t even arrived yet and Scheffler has amassed more than $15 million in scholarships. Her most recent win of $3,600,000 will certainly come in handy to purchase a top quality crib for her unborn child. The couple’s first baby since high school with his wife Meredith is expected in the coming days.

Beyond the simple action of hitting the ball on America’s most popular course, Scheffler had a thousand and one concerns to dodge. But he was able to win for the second time in his career on this field, because the best must be the best, as the adage goes. A saying which, unlike the first seasons of Hot pepperstands the test of time.

The massacre of Amen Corner

At the start of the day, Scheffler led the leaderboard at -7. Not far behind followed in order Collin Morikawa at -6, Max Homa at -5, Ludvig Åberg at -4 and Bryson DeChambeau at -3. The eventual winner’s margin of maneuver was therefore as thin as the pine twigs that surround every tree on the property.

DeChambeau was quickly left out of the group of contenders. His play on the greens, once again, was catastrophic. Just like his play with his irons on approach shots. The representative of the LIV Golf series returned a card of 73 to finish in sixth place at -2. Had it not been for his extraordinary round of 65 on the first day, he would never have been in the mix.

Among the contenders for the green jacket therefore remained Scheffler, Morikawa, Homa and Åberg. Due to the mild weather conditions, we could have expected more creativity and especially more daring from the players in this final round. However, due to the firmness of the greens, golfers were all limited. After all, it is very difficult to tame this almost century-old course on the Sunday of the Masters Tournament.

When the last group on course completed the seventh hole, the four strongest golfers were all tied atop the leaderboard at -6.

But on the eighth hole, the Scheffler machine started up. Like a seasoned jungle predator waiting for its prey to be in a vulnerable position to attack.

On the eighth hole, birdie. On the ninth hole, thanks to a perfectly executed approach shot, he came close to eagle to complete the birdie with his putter. At the tenth, with a nice right-left putt, Scheffler threaded the needle for another birdie. His lead then widened dangerously.

Then, in the Amen Corner, the golf gods visibly helped the man who is on the path to one day becoming an immortal.

At 11^e hole, Åberg sent his approach shot into the water. Double bogey. Morikawa, already the victim of a double bogey due to a mishap in a bunker at the ninth, also sent his approach shot into the watercourse at the edge of the green at the 11th.^e. Another double bogey. Homa, meanwhile, sent his ball into the flowers behind the narrow green of 12^e hole. One stroke penalty and double bogey.

It’s as if Scheffler’s opponents are falling one after the other. At the same time, the eventual winner played in full possession of his means.

When time seemed to stand still in this final round, when all her rivals were fragile, Scheffler finished them off with elegance and kindness, as Selena Gomez once sang. By keeping a cool head and putting forward his usual nonchalance, as if it were a Wednesday morning round at Rigolfeur, he continued to be uncompromising.

A real victory

Before being presented with the green jacket by Jon Rahm, last year’s winner, Scheffler made six birdies in his last 11 holes. A feat worthy of a double green jacket champion.

Many will say the day after this victory, and probably in the weeks to come, that this other gain can only be explained by the fall of its rivals in the Amen Corner.

Unfortunately, and this is even more true this year, no winner leaving Magnolia Lane with a green jacket on his back triumphed by chance or default.

Certainly, Scheffler’s rivals collapsed, and he won by a four-stroke priority over Åberg. This should convince his detractors of the extent to which the Texan was strong, physically and mentally, so as not to break down like the others before having completed his 72^e hole of the week.

If his counterparts got bogged down in their bogeys and double bogeys, Scheffler collected birdies. He played a final round of 68; only Tom Kim, with a 66, did better. And this simple feat of arms carried out on a course where he was the only one of the 80 players to finish in the -10 is a sufficient argument.

Fans will find Scheffler a little tasteless. He is never in love with excess joy, it’s true, but he is never the victim of excess rage either. He is not the most expressive in interviews, it is true, but he has always remained a faithful apostle and a tireless defender of the circuit having given birth to the legends who came before him.

His momentum is an earthquake, he is clumsy when he puts on the most coveted jacket in sport and he cries when he talks about his partner.

Scottie Scheffler is fallible. And that is why he is a great champion with whom more and more golfers will identify in the years to come.

His striking technique is far from being academic like that of Morikawa or Åberg, but who has never been attracted by a little rebellion?

His style of play is nothing very spectacular, some will say. But Scheffler gets into trouble more often than not and always ends up coming out heroically. The American forces us to be on the edge of our seats and pushes us to be dismayed with each rescue.

After all, there must be something spectacular about a golfer who hits a ratio of only 67% of greens in regulation, 64% of fairways and 33% of bunkers saved and still wins. the most extraordinary golf tournament. Besides, his round of 68 was his 40^e consecutively below par. He has never played in the positive since August 26, 2023.

No matter what anyone says about him, Scheffler gives the impression of paying little attention to it anyway. He had just one thing to say to the camera before receiving his green jacket in the clubhouse: “Meredith, I love you. I’m going home. »