An “unshakeable” Scottie Scheffler has claimed his second Masters green jacket in three years, carding a four-under-par 68 to finish four shots clear of Swede Ludvig Aberg at 11-under.
By doing so, he became just the 18th player in Masters history to win the major twice to reaffirm his status as the best golfer on the planet.
Despite an up-and-down front nine, the 27-year-old was in control for much of the final round and never looked like choking after starting the final round one shot clear of two-time major winner Collin Morikawa.
“I hadn’t hit many good iron shots, which is a bit unusual for me. I’d hit some good ones, but they weren’t ending up where they were supposed to,” Scheffler said.
“I had that bogey on seven and a nice birdie on eight, going into nine it was nice to get that feeling of hitting a really well-struck shot, and it really set me up to have a really nice back nine.”
Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates on the 18th green after winning the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Morikawa was firmly in the hunt when he moved to one-under for the round through eight holes, but his hopes of getting a first green jacket were ended on the turn.
The 27-year-old, who has the PGA Championship and US Open, dropped two shots on nine and then followed it up with another double-bogey on 11 to see his major hopes blow up in smoke.
The American’s round was summed up by having to hit backward on the 18th, as he allowed his playing partner Scheffler to play on.
Morikawa finished tied-third along with Max Homa and Tommy Fleetwood, who had an impressive final round of three-under.
Moments earlier, Aberg, the 24-year-old Swede, who was playing his first major, put together a “mind-blowing” four days of golf, including a final round four-under, to finish seven-under and outright second.
Cameron Smith was the best of the Australians, as the 2022 Open Champion put together a solid final round of one-under, which included a spectacular eagle on two, to finish two-under to share sixth place alongside Bryson DeChambeau.
But the LIV Golf star was left ruing what could have been after moving to three-under through two after holding out from the bunker to record an eagler.
“It’s been a frustrating week, I can’t really say much more than that,” he said.
“I put my ball on the right spots of the green, the putts just didn’t fall this week. It’s just really frustrating.
“I feel that that’s as good as I’ve played around here, but the putts didn’t go in.”
Smith and DeChambeau were the highest-placed finishers from the LIV Golf contingent, with Patrick Reed and Tyrrel Hatton the other LIV Golf breakaway stars to finish inside the top 20.
A sign of things to come, with the LIV stars not playing nearly as much, as well as playing just three rounds of 54 holes rather than the traditional 72?
Cameron Davis was the next best placed Australian, finishing tied-12th after struggling in his final round with a 3-over 75 to finish one-over for the tournament.
Min Woo Lee (three-under) and 2013 champion Adam Scott (even-par) finished tied-22, while Jason Day also enjoyed a fine final round to finish three-under for the day to move up to tied-30th.
Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods continued to struggle as the tournament continued, carding five-over to finish 16-over.
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