AUGUSTA, Georgia — Scottie Scheffler warned his rivals he has no plans to take his eye off the ball after securing his second golf Masters title in three years.
Scheffler carded a closing 68 at Augusta National to finish four shots ahead of Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and has now won three of his last four events and finished runner-up in the other.
The world number one’s thoughts immediately turned to getting home as soon as possible to his wife Meredith, who is pregnant with their first child, but he also intends to keep challenging for the game’s biggest titles.
“I’m coming home, I’ll be home as quick as I can,” Scheffler said when asked if he had a message for his wife. “I wish I could soak this in a little bit more but all I can think about is getting home. It’s a very, very special time for both of us.
“I can’t put into words what it means to win this tournament again and really can’t put into words what it’s going to be like to be a father for the first time.
“I definitely will enjoy the birth of my first child, and my priorities will change very soon, so golf will be fourth in line, but I still love competing.
Scheffler manages enormous expectations so well because he never spends too much time thinking about the past or the future. The temptation was never so great at the Masters.
Behind him was a swift sequence of events that put him in control at Augusta National when three of his closest challengers made double bogey in the heart of Amen Corner. Ahead of him was the dreamy prospect of another Masters green jacket.
All he thought about was the 215 yards between his golf ball and the flag on the par-5 13th. His lead was two shots over Ludvig Aberg, the 24-year-old Swede who a year ago was in college and played his first Masters as the No. 9 player in the world.
Scheffler was oblivious to everything except what was in front of him.
“He just seemed focused on doing Scottie Scheffler things,” said Ted Scott, the caddie who has been on Scheffler’s bag during his amazing ride to the top of the golf world.
“That’s what he said on 13. He goes, ‘Should we go for it?’ I said: `Absolutely. Why don´t we do what we do and what we’re good at?’ He’s the best ball striker in the world,” Scott said.
“He hit an unbelievable 4-iron, which is just incredible to that small target.
“Those targets seem big when you’re caddying for Scottie Scheffler.”
The ball hit the safe part of the green, setting up a two-putt birdie to extend his lead. His wedge on the 14th settled a foot away for another birdie. And then he made another.
Before long, Scheffler twice slipped into the green jacket – first in Butler Cabin, and then on the 18th green, both times accompanied by a wide smile.
And to think it was only two years and two months ago that Scheffler was trying to win for the first time on the PGA Tour.
Since then, he has picked up 10 victories worldwide and has finished in the top three a staggering 44 per cent of the time.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a guy out there that tees it up and he’s supposed to win, and he wins,” Xander Schauffele said.
“I feel like we’ve had a bit of a bounce-back with three or four guys for that top spot. And he’s cruising along pretty nicely.”
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