The shot that broke his rivals’ hearts and won Scheffler the US Masters
Less than 15 minutes before Scottie Scheffler stood over his second shot on the ninth hole in the final round at Augusta National, US Masters organisers had the finish they’d been craving: a four-way tie atop the leaderboard with 11 holes to play.
Scheffler, playing partner Collin Morikawa, Max Homa and Ludvig Aberg were all at six under as they crept closer to Amen Corner – the collective name for the 11th, 12th and 13th holes where the tournament has often been decided. Scheffler had been far from his best in the first seven holes, surrendering a shot and overnight lead as danger lurked.
How Scottie Scheffler’s superb birdie on the ninth unfolded. Credit: The Masters
But, in almost the blink of an eye, the tournament changed.
Scheffler and Morikawa both made birdies on the eighth – the Texan continuing his feast on Augusta’s par fives – and while Aberg rolled in a long birdie putt on nine, Morikawa scuffed a drive into the pine straw on the right. Any Augusta aficionado will tell you, that’s a no-go zone at the best of times, let alone under the intense spotlight of Masters Sunday.
No such problem for Scheffler. He bombed his drive 358 yards down the middle of the fairway, setting the scene for the shot which would change the momentum of the Masters and win the 27-year-old his second green jacket, beating Sweden’s major debutant Aberg by four shots.
The club
On a course full of sloping greens with different tiers, some of which feel like they need an escalator, finding the right level with his approach was always going to be the key for Scheffler into the ninth green.
He took a lob wedge after a short discussion with caddie Ted Scott, a devout Christian who was drawn to Scheffler’s bag through their shared faith (Scott also won the Masters twice in three years with Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014). The pair had 89 yards to the flag, but aimed closer to 100.
Why? Instead of aiming dead at the pin, Scheffler sized up the large bank about 10 metres behind the hole, and flew his shot just far enough that it would use the slope to feed back to the flag, eliminating the risk of the ball coming up short and rolling back off the green.
The result was the shot of the tournament, given the circumstances, with Scheffler nearly holing out for eagle as his ball trickled back to the cup. He had six inches to tap in for birdie. It was a dagger to the rest of the field, not least Morikawa, chasing the third leg of golf’s grand slam.
Morikawa made double bogey after failing to get out of a greenside bunker at his first attempt, a three-shot swing from which he never recovered. It was the only double bogey on the ninth hole all day. Scheffler’s birdie gave him the solo lead, which he would never relinquish.
“I felt like I was battling the whole week,” Scheffler said. “I was fighting the golf course these last couple of days. I had to battle some ups and downs. I’m very fortunate to be sitting here.”
The mind
Unlike some of his contemporaries, Scheffler lives a plain lifestyle. There’s no fast cars, flash clothes, multiple mansions. He lives for his family and his faith.
Scottie Scheffler celebrates his win at the US Masters.Credit: AP
Scheffler was so racked with nerves before the final round of the Masters two years ago, when paired with Australia’s Cameron Smith, he admitted crying in front of wife Meredith. This time, he just spoke to his heavily pregnant partner on the phone and asked for prayers and the power of healing as he battled a stiff neck.
After vowing to leave the tournament if she went into labour, it never happened.
When asked the key to Scheffler’s success, Rory McIlroy said: “Not a lot of clutter.
“The game feels pretty easy when you’re in stretches like this. That’s the hard thing, when you’re not in form you are searching and thinking about it so much. When you are in form, you don’t think about it at all. It’s about trying to find that balance.”
Homa, who finished in a tie for third, said: “He’s pretty amazing at letting things roll off his back and stepping up to very difficult golf shots. He’s obviously a tremendous talent, but I think that’s his superpower.”
Homa has a point.
For so long chastised for his putting, considered the slight chink in his armour, Scheffler didn’t have his best week with the irons.
“This guy is not on his game, not playing his best golf, and is still a Masters champion,” analyst Paul McGinley told Golf Channel. “You look at why? What is the secret sauce here? How does he manage to get it done?
“He gets it done by – when it’s a dangerous hole like 11 – he misses the green right and relies on his brilliant short game. As much as his iron play was off this week, it was way down for him, when it came to a dangerous hole he bailed out and relied on his chipping.
“He was the best chipper this week. That’s how he gets the job done.”
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