Written by Kevin Prise @PGATOURKevin
Scottie Scheffler has won the 88th Masters in a final-nine runaway.
Scheffler carded a final-round, 4-under 68 at Augusta National Golf Club for an 11-under total, four strokes clear of Ludvig Åberg on a sun-kissed Sunday in Georgia. Scheffler earns his second green jacket and ninth PGA TOUR title.
Read below for a look at how Sunday afternoon unfolded at Augusta National, as Scheffler emerged from a four-way co-lead late in the front nine with six birdies in a 10-hole stretch around the turn, a decisive triumph amidst the loblolly pines.
7:00 p.m.: It's a coronation.
Scottie Scheffler makes a comfortable par at the par-4 17th, setting the stage for a heroic walk up the par-4 18th hole as the adoring patrons offer their appreciation. Scheffler takes the tee with a four-stroke lead over Ludvig Åberg, and he tugs his tee shot just slightly, the ball rolling into a fairway bunker. His second shot lands near the green's front edge and feeds back into a collection area short-right, meaning he needs to hole out in five strokes or fewer to secure his second green jacket.
Scheffler pitches to 3 feet and
6:35 p.m.: After a par at the par-5 15th hole, Scottie Scheffler strikes a quality mid-iron at the par-3 16th, perfectly placed 10 feet below the hole, and converts the birdie to take a four-shot lead at 11 under. It's his sixth birdie in his last nine holes, as he continues to make a statement as to his dominance in professional golf.
Ludvig Åberg holds solo second place (7 under) as he plays the 18th hole, with Collin Morikawa in solo third at 5 under.
6:10 p.m.: You can't stop Scottie Scheffler. You can only hope to contain him, and that could be a tall task for years to come.
Scheffler sticks a wedge to kick-in birdie range at the par-4 14th, moving to double digits under par for the first time this week. It's a good time to reach that mark. Scheffler stands 10 under, three clear of Ludvig Åberg, who makes par at the par-5 15th. Max Homa (through 15) is the next closest at 5 under, five strokes back.
5:55 p.m.: Ludvig Åberg keeps the pedal down with a wedge to 7 feet for birdie at the par-4 14th, moving to 7 under and keeping pace with the leader Scottie Scheffler, who two-putts for birdie at the par-5 13th to maintain a two-stroke lead at 9 under.
It appears Åberg is the only player with a realistic chance at catching Scheffler. Max Homa holds solo third at 5 under (through 14).
On a Sunday that featured a four-way co-lead midway through the front nine, Scheffler is yet again proving why he's the unquestioned world No. 1.
5:40 p.m.: Masters first-timer Ludvig Åberg isn't fading gently into the good night, as the Swede stripes a 241-yard approach at the par-5 13th to 18 feet, en route to a two-putt birdie. He moves into solo second at 6 under, two back of Scheffler.
5:30 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler plays a safe shot to the front-left portion of the par-3 12th green, shades of Tiger Woods in 2019 en route to his fifth green jacket. Scheffler knows there's no need to press matters around Augusta National with a three-stroke lead, and he safely two-putts for par to remain three clear of the field.
5:20 p.m.: Things are unraveling for all players not named Scheffler.
Max Homa pulls his tee shot long and left into the brush on the par-3 12th, a short but vexing hole that has loomed large in several Masters through the years. He proceeds to make double bogey, falling to 5 under for the week.
Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa makes double bogey at No. 11, his second double bogey in three holes, falling to 3 under for the week. He's suddenly five strokes back of Scheffler, who makes a safe bogey at the 11th; he misses the green short-right, pitches to 9 feet and two-putts.
Scheffler, 8 under, now stands three strokes clear of Homa and Åberg. Tommy Fleetwood has moved into solo fourth place at 4 under.
The three-hole stretch known as Amen Corner, Nos. 11-13, often provides clarity in a Masters. It has seemingly done so once again.
5:10 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler watches on at the top of the hill of Amen Corner as Ludvig Åberg cards a round-derailing double-bogey 6 at the par-4 11th.
As the young Swede and Max Homa walk to the famous 12th hole, Collin Morikawa makes the same mistake, pulling a long iron left on No. 11 into the hazard.
5:00 p.m.: Is it inevitable? Scottie Scheffler takes control of the 2024 Masters Tournament with three birdies in a row, heading into Amen Corner. After backing off the 9-foot putt on the 10th green, Scheffler makes no mistakes with the right-to-left breaker, finding the center of the cup.
As this happens, 300 yards ahead, his nearest competitor Ludvig Åberg makes his first mistake of the round, and what a costly one it could be. The young Swede misses left and finds the water hazard greenside at the par-4 11th.
4:50 p.m.: Max Homa joins the dart party at the par-4 10th hole. After splitting the fairway with a drive, Homa hits his second from 161 yards to just 3 feet. Tapping in the putt. he joins Ludvig Åberg who made a routine par, at 7 under heading into Amen Corner.
4:45 p.m.: How things can change so quickly at Augusta National. Scottie Scheffler nearly adds another hole-out to the collection. Could this be the turning point? From 89 yards the world No. 1 uses the slope behind the pin on the ninth green – reading it almost like a putt – and the ball scares the hole, finishing an inch away. This happens while his playing partner has to pitch out to the front bunker and fails to escape on the first attempt, leading to a double bogey. Morikawa falls three back of Scheffler's lead, who makes the walk up the hill to the 10th hole at 9 under.
4:35 p.m.: Ludvig Åberg drains a lengthy downhill birdie putt at the par-4 ninth, joining Scheffler and Morikawa as co-leaders at 7 under. Masters first-timer Åberg turns in 3-under 33, looking to become the first player to win his Masters debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
Homa two-putts for par at the ninth to turn at 6-under total, one off the lead.
As they say, the Masters begins on the final nine Sunday. We are here.
4:30 p.m.: The final pairing of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa both make birdie at the par-5 eighth, moving into a two-way co-lead at 7 under.
Max Homa and Ludvig Åberg, playing the ninth, are each a stroke back at 6 under.
4:25 p.m.: There's now a four-way tie for the lead as the final nine beckons at the Masters.
Max Homa two-putts for birdie at the par-5 eighth, moving into a share of the lead at 6 under, alongside his playing partner Ludvig Åberg and both of the final pairing's competitors in Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler.
4:10 p.m.: After back-to-back two-putt pars at Nos. 5 and 6, Scheffler finds a precarious spot at the par-4 seventh, as his tee shot caroms across the fairway into a spot where trees impact his approach. His second shot catches the front greenside bunker; he splashes to 11 feet and two-putts for his second bogey in four holes.
Scheffler now shares the lead at 6 under with Ludvig Åberg (who made birdie at No. 7 in the group ahead) and Collin Morikawa.
Max Homa is one stroke back after a bogey at No. 7.
3:30 p.m.: After flying his tee shot over the green at the staunch par-3 fourth, leader Scottie Scheffler can't get up and down, as his 14-foot par putt slides by. With a bogey, Scheffler falls to 7 under. He's now just one clear of Max Homa and Collin Morikawa. Ludvig Åberg is two back.
3:20 p.m.: After opening with back-to-back pars, overnight leader Scottie Scheffler stuffs a wedge to 3 feet for an easy birdie at the short par-4 third, which he birdied Saturday via a 35-footer. Scheffler moves to 8 under, two clear of the field.
3:00 p.m.: Max Homa gets up and down for birdie at the par-5 second. It's his first birdie in 34 holes, and he moves to 6 under, one back of Scheffler's lead. His playing partner Ludvig Åberg matches the birdie to reach 5 under.
2:55 p.m.: J.T. Poston won't win the Masters, but his closing stretch Sunday offers clues as to the scoring chances that await. Poston made birdie on Nos. 13, 14 and 15, and he adds a lengthy birdie at the par-4 18th to post 2-under 70 for a 5-over total.
2:40 p.m. ET: As we begin this blog and the final pairing gets underway, let's take stock of notable storylines that emerged early Sunday amidst Augusta's loblolly pines:
• Five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods completed his 100th career round at Augusta National, signing for a final-round 77 to complete the week at 16 over. Although Woods will fall short of a record-tying sixth green jacket, his week will be forever etched in Masters history, as he set a tournament record with his 24th consecutive made cut, surpassing the mark he shared with Fred Couples and Gary Player.
Woods played the final round alongside amateur Neal Shipley, who carded 1-over 73 Sunday (12-over total) and will earn low amateur honors as the only of five amateurs to make the cut.
• The conditions softened overnight and the course was ripe for the taking early Sunday. Tom Kim took advantage with a closing 6-under 66, one off the tournament's low score thus far (Bryson DeChambeau's opening-round 65). Kim's score was an 11-stroke improvement from a third-round 77. Kurt Kitayama rebounded from a third-round 82 with a closing 68, and four players carded 3-under 69 in the day's early portion: Keegan Bradley, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day and Camilo Villegas.
• Rory McIlroy stands even-par Sunday through eight holes, 3-over overall for the tournament. Trailing the lead by 10 strokes with 10 holes to play, it appears his quest to complete the career Grand Slam will have to wait another year.
