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Scottie Scheffler totally justified his standing as pre-tournament favorite with a nerveless second Masters title within the area of three years at Augusta Nationwide.
The world primary carded a closing 68 to complete 11 beneath par and 4 photographs away from Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, with England’s Tommy Fleetwood, two-time main winner Collin Morikawa and Max Homa three strokes additional again.
Scheffler held his nerve as his rivals stumbled round Amen Nook and responded magnificently when Aberg saved the strain on, the 24-year-old once more demonstrating his huge potential on his main debut.
Aberg solely turned skilled in June final 12 months, however shortly received on the DP World Tour, helped Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Rome – together with a 9&7 win with Viktor Hovland over Scheffler and Brooks Koepka – and likewise tasted victory on the PGA Tour earlier than the tip of the season.
Scheffler has been in equally sensible type in 2024, successful the Arnold Palmer Invitational by 5 photographs and changing into the primary participant to safe back-to-back Gamers Championship titles seven days later.
That meant the 27-year-old had been made favorite for the Masters on the the sort of odds beforehand solely supplied for peak-era Tiger Woods and he duly took a one-shot lead into the ultimate spherical.
A birdie on the third shortly doubled that benefit, however dropped photographs on the fourth and seventh left Scheffler in a three-way tie for the lead with taking part in associate Morikawa and Aberg.
Homa’s birdie on the eighth made it a four-way tie, however dramatic and decisive adjustments had been simply across the nook.
Scheffler was inches away from spinning his strategy to the ninth into the opening for an eagle and tapped in for the best of birdies, whereas Morikawa took two to flee from a greenside bunker to run up a double bogey.
Scheffler additionally birdied the tenth and was gifted some welcome respiratory area when Aberg pulled his second to the eleventh into the water to card a pricey double bogey, an error repeated minutes later by Morikawa.
Scheffler did not take full benefit as he additionally dropped a shot, however then noticed one other contender fall away as Homa was compelled to take a penalty drop from bushes behind the twelfth inexperienced.
Aberg refused to throw within the towel and birdied the thirteenth and 14th to seemingly preserve the strain on, just for the unflappable Scheffler to birdie the identical holes, his strategy to the 14th spinning right down to tap-in vary.
One other birdie on the sixteenth put the outcome past doubt and in contrast to in 2022, this time there can be no careless 4 putts on the 18th inexperienced.
Woods had completed his spherical an hour earlier than the ultimate pairing of Scheffler and Morikawa teed off, his a hundredth spherical on the Masters starting after enlisting the assistance of his son Charlie.
Charlie was pictured seemingly giving his dad some swing recommendations on the follow vary at Augusta Nationwide, recommendation even a 15-time main champion might have welcomed following a demoralising third spherical of 82.
That was the 48-year-old’s worst rating within the Masters by 4 photographs and meant an early tee time on Sunday alongside Neal Shipley, the one beginner to make the reduce.
Woods began in fashion with a 360-yard drive on the par-five second to assist arrange an easy birdie, however ran up a triple bogey seven on the fifth and finally signed for a 77 to complete final of the 60 gamers to make the reduce.
Woods had beforehand focused taking part in one event a month this 12 months, with the remaining majors – the US PGA, US Open and Open Championship – the apparent targets.
“This can be a golf course I knew going into it so I’ve received to do my homework going ahead at Valhalla and Pinehurst and Troon, however that’s sort of the game-plan,” Woods stated.
“I heard there have been some adjustments on the subsequent couple of websites so I’ve received to stand up there early and verify them out.”
Rory McIlroy carded a closing 73 to complete in a tie for twenty second on his tenth try to finish the profession grand slam, with defending champion Jon Rahm a distant forty fifth following a last spherical of 76.
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