AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler was overcome. He was in tears. And it was not even breakfast time on Sunday morning.
Scheffler was however hrs from his 2:40 p.m. Masters closing-spherical tee time at Augusta National, where by he would be tasked with trying to hold the a few-shot lead he’d crafted the former a few times to get his 1st eco-friendly jacket.
“I cried like a toddler this early morning,’’ Scheffler mentioned Sunday evening, now putting on that environmentally friendly jacket he’d dreamt of profitable. “I was so stressed out. I didn’t know what to do. I was sitting there telling Meredith [my wife], ‘I never feel I’m completely ready for this. I’m not completely ready, I really don’t experience like I’m completely ready for this variety of stuff.’ I just felt confused.
“She informed me, ‘Who are you to say that you are not all set?’ What we talked about is that God is in management and that the Lord is primary me and if these days is my time, it is my time.’’
Meredith Scheffler calmly talked her partner off the ledge and designed him a massive breakfast.
Scheffler, the 25-calendar year-previous New Jersey native who moved to Texas when he was a young boy, then proceeded to go out get the Masters, his fourth victory in the past 6 tournaments in which he’s performed.
The irony about Scheffler’s amazing admission to his Sunday-early morning meltdown is that the dude spent all 4 rounds at this Masters searching and acting like a stone-chilly killer, never ever exhibiting any outward thoughts or cracks in his mental armor.
There’s an age-previous saying that states: “The Masters doesn’t start out till the again nine on Sunday.’’
Scheffler by no means allow that occur. By the time he received to the again 9 Sunday, he’d set the tournament and the field to snooze.
It felt like Scheffler experienced a chokehold on the match for times. He held the direct since Friday and was the only player in the discipline to submit all 4 rounds underneath par.
He could as very well have performed the closing round carrying the green jacket he was going to win with Sunday’s resounding victory, since no one else was going to earn it.
Scheffler was so in management of his thoughts and the golfing tournament all week, it seemed inconceivable that he could have a meltdown second like the one particular he experienced Sunday morning.
“I assume since it is the Masters,’’ Scheffler said. “I dreamed of getting a probability to perform in this golfing tournament. I teared up the first time I acquired my invitation in the mail. If you are heading to choose a golf event to gain, this would be the tournament I would want to earn. The human problem is to make points even larger than they really are.’’
It pretty much felt strange that Scheffler, who entered the 7 days possessing won a few of his earlier 5 tournaments, experienced elevated to the No. 1 ranking in the globe final month. His very first job earn had appear only two months back.
How could he be No. 1 so soon?
Nicely, soon after what he set on display screen this 7 days — a 10-beneath complete that bettered Rory McIlroy’s backdoor runner-up finish soon after the Northern Irishman scorched the program with a 64 — are there any queries about Scheffler as the leading player in the entire world now?
“He is undertaking Tiger Woods matters right now,’’ fellow PGA Tour participant Jason Kokrak stated Sunday. “Scottie Scheffler is accomplishing some insane things.’’
Scheffler’s victory arrived on the 25th anniversary not only of Woods’ activity-altering initial career Masters victory in 1997 but on the 25th anniversary of his beginning 12 months. More symmetry: Woods’ ’97 Masters victory was his fourth occupation PGA Tour win, and Scheffler’s Masters get was his fourth vocation victory.
“It’s historic,’’ reported Scheffler’s longtime pal and fellow PGA Tour participant from Texas Will Zalatoris, who concluded tied for fifth. “He is participating in the ideal golfing in the globe. Any time he tees it up, he has a possibility to acquire. There’s no weaknesses in his sport.’’
Scheffler, certainly, seemed like he was produced of pure Teflon, significantly in the remaining two rounds.
His save of bogey on 18 at the conclude of Saturday’s spherical — highlighted by his relaxed in dealing with the adversity and then the 3-iron he rifled some 242 yards up the steep hill to just over the back of the inexperienced — will be neglected simply because the final spherical sealed victory for him. But that shot — surely the biggest of his lifetime — could have received him the tournament.
Scheffler took a three-shot lead into the ultimate round in excess of 28-yr-outdated Australian Cam Smith, a fearless birdie equipment when he will get hot. Smith birdied the very first two holes whilst Scheffler parred them and out of the blue the guide was just a person shot, 9-beneath to 8-below.
Matters turned considerably on No. 3, the place he chipped in for birdie to get to 10-beneath and Smith bogeyed to fall to 6-beneath.
The closing turning position of be aware came on the par-3 12th gap, in which Smith strike his tee shot into Rae’s Creek and took a triple bogey to fall six pictures powering Scheffler.
At that issue, the only distant menace to Scheffler was McIlroy, who’d gotten to 6-underneath, four back, but McIlroy was functioning out of holes.
“I do not think anything has sunk in at the moment,’’ Scheffler stated. “My head is continue to kind of spinning.’’
