Scottie Scheffler captures first major with Masters victory, buoyant McIlroy finishes second (with a bang)

HOT: Scottie Scheffler celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National by three shots. Pic: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – Cameron Smith threw an early punch to the face. Rory McIlroy delivered a haymaker round of 64. Augusta National presented its usual array of questions and challenges.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler calmly and efficiently handled everything that was thrown at him on Sunday to win the green jacket at the 86th Masters at 10-under 278.

With a combination of chip-ins, recovery pitches, clutch putts and nearly flawless course management up until the final four-putt with a five-shot lead, Scheffler staved off all threats to win by three shots over hard-charging McIlroy. In a span of 57 days, the 25-year-old Texan has gone from a maiden PGA Tour winner in Phoenix to prestige winner at Bay Hill to a WGC champion at Match Play to a major champion at the Masters.

For a young man who seemed so confident all day, he swears he was anything but.

“I cried like a baby this morning,” Scheffler said. “I was so stressed out. I didn't know what to do. I was sitting there telling (my wife) Meredith, ‘I don't think I'm ready for this. I'm not ready, I don't feel like I'm ready for this kind of stuff, and I just felt overwhelmed.’ “She told me, ‘Who are you to say that you are not ready?’” 

Scheffler scuffled at the start and watched Smith birdie the first two holes to narrow his three-shot lead to a skinny stroke. But then Scheffler pitched into the side of the hill and his ball hit the pin dead on and fell in for birdie. Smith bogeyed from the same spot and his lead was right back to where he started.

He let nobody ever get closer than three again the rest of the day, even “To have it go in was obviously off the charts, but my main goal was just to get up-and-down, and see it go in was definitely special,” Scheffler said. “After that I kind of just started cruising.” 

If it’s possible to have two winners leaving Augusta National on the same night, McIlroy walked away as buoyant as a runner-up can be.

Starting the final round 10 shots back, McIlroy did as much as he could with a bogey-free 64 that matched eight others for the lowest score ever shot in the final round at Augusta. He started of hot with a birdie at the first and added more at Nos. 3, 7, 8 and 10 before an eagle at 13 had the major championship single-round scoring record within his sights.

He tapered off missing chances at 15 and 16, but his bunker-to-bunker hole-out for birdie on the 18th prompted a euphoric eruption from McIlroy and the patrons that echoed all the way down to Amen Corner where Scheffler was suddenly in possession of only a three-shot lead facing a short birdie putt on the 13th green.

“It's what you dream about, right?” McIlroy said of his Sunday charge. “You dream about getting yourself in position. I wasn't quite close enough to the lead, I don't think. Scottie is playing really, really well. To play as well as I did today and then to finish like this, I mean, it's just absolutely incredible.

“This tournament never ceases to amaze. Yeah, that's as happy as I've ever been on a golf course right there. Just having a chance. ... That was an incredible. I've never heard roars like on the 18th green. It was really cool.” Scheffler missed his putt after the roar, but whatever thoughts that he might be rattled quickly dissipated with a pair of birdies on 14 and 15 to jack his lead back up to the five strokes he slept on Friday night.

“I was fortunate to put myself in a position where I was in control of the tournament today, so I didn't have to worry about what anyone else was doing out there,” Scheffler said. “If I took care of my stuff and played good solid golf, I felt like I would get the job done. That was the goal going into today was to just keep my head down.

“And I did see at one point that Rory posted 7-under, I believe, and Cam and I were kind of getting a little tight there after he birdied 11. I made a huge par putt there. After that he made the mistake on 12, and I had a nice up-and-down, and after that just played some good golf.” As thrilled as McIlroy was with his finish, he knew it wasn’t enough.

“I gave it a great go, and I can't ask any more of myself,” McIlroy said after his best finish at Augusta left him one place on the leaderboard from completely his career Grand Slam. “I went out there today, shot my best ever score at Augusta. It's going to be my best finish ever. Probably not quite good enough, but I'll come back next year and keep trying.

“I thought if I could shoot 63 today, it would give me a chance. That was sort of my number today. I didn't quite get there, but I gave it a good shot. I've been in that position, and I've had the lead on the back nine here and haven't been able to get it done. I just wanted to try and put a little bit of pressure on and I feel like I did that.” 

When the weekend started it was Shane Lowry who seemed to hold Ireland’s best hopes for a first green jacket. On Sunday, the Offaly man started seven strokes behind Scheffler and made a birdie on No. 2 to get closer.

But Lowry blocked his tee shot on the par-4 fourth into the trees prompting a penalty drop. His subsequent triple dropped him to even par and completely off the leaderboard he’d been a fixture on since Friday.

Undeterred, Lowry fought back with birdies at 6, 8 and 9. He recovered from another bogey at No. 12 to birdie 13, 15 and 18 to shoot 69 and tie for third with Smith at 5-under.

“It is quite pleasing to do what I did and finish the way I did is very pleasing,” said Lowry. “Yeah, but it's going to be one of those where it's like so near and so far type thing. I don't know how many chances you're going to get to win the green jacket. It is a bit of a disappointing kind of feeling right now, but obviously, my finish was really good, and I played some great golf all week.” The hiccup on the fourth proved costly as it allowed McIlroy to pip him for low Irish.

“I played the first three holes lovely, and I just tried to be a bit clever on the fourth and try to hit a 3-iron up in the air,” Lowry said. “It was just a horrendous shot. I didn't hit too many more bad shots the rest of the day.”

Five-time Masters champion Woods was completing a second straight 78 as the final group got their rounds underway, but admitted just playing this week was one of the greatest achievements of his career following the injuries he suffered in an horrific car crash 14 months ago.

"For not winning an event, yes. Yes, without a doubt," Woods said.

"I don't think people really understand. The people who are close to me understand. Some of the players who are close to me have seen it and have seen some of the pictures and the things that I have had to endure."

Woods said he was unsure whether he would play next month's US PGA Championship at Southern Hills, but that he would contest the 150th Open Championship in July at St Andrews, the scene of two of his Open victories.

McIlroy had the round of the day, capped by a birdie at the 18th when he holed out from a bunker. But his quest for the career Grand Slam will have to wait another year.

What a way to finish. McIlroy holes out on No. 18 to put pressure on the leader. #themasters pic.twitter.com/L5fWWbR9cj

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 10, 2022