AP/Photo George Walker IV – Scottie Scheffler tees off on the 12 Hole on Sunday
AP Sports Report-
Scottie Scheffler won the 2024 Masters tournament, his second Masters title in three years, after shooting an impressive 4-under 68 to pull away from a trio of challengers on the back nine and finish 11 under.
Here’s what to know:
- Leaderboard: See the full scores and player standings.
- Tiger Woods: After posting his highest 72-hole score, Woods said he still intends to play in golf’s other three majors.
- Verne Lundquist: The 83-year-old commentator is retiring after calling the Masters for CBS for the 40th time.
Scheffler’s four-shot victory was the latest in a string of recent Masters ‘blowouts’
There haven’t been a whole lot of dramatic finishes at the Masters over the last decade, and Scottie Scheffler made sure that streak continued.
Scheffler held a three-shot lead with six holes remaining as he went for his second green jacket in the last three years.
That lead grew to four before it was over.
It was the seventh time in the last 11 years that the Augusta National winner cleared the field by at least three strokes.
Of the other four, three were decided by single stroke, but even that’s a bit misleading.
Hideki Matsuyama in 2021 and Tiger Woods in 2019 both clinched their one-shot wins with bogeys at the 72nd hole.
Patrick Reed claimed the green jacket in 2018 with a par at the final hole at preserve his one-shot victory. And Sergio Garcia defeated Justin Rose in a playoff in 2017.
More typical of the last decade: Jon Rahm’s four-stroke win a year ago, Scheffler’s three-stroke triumph in 2022, Dustin Johnson’s five-shot romp in 2020, Danny Willett’s three-stroke win in 2016, Jordan Spieth’s four-shot rout in 2015 and Bubba Watson’s three-stroke victory in 2014.
▶ Read more: Scheffler wins second green jacket
Scottie Scheffler wins his second Masters in three years with impressive final round
BY DAVE SKRETTA
Scottie Scheffler won his second Masters in three years Sunday, shooting an impressive 4-under 68 to pull away from a trio of challengers on the back nine and finish 11 under for the championship.
Ludvig Aberg, making his Masters debut, was second at 7 under. Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for third at 4 under.
The 27-year-old Scheffler was tied with Aberg, Homa and Morikawa while playing the eighth hole, but he responded with three straight birdies. The others began to falter, and Scheffler cruised from there to another drama-free green jacket.
Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship earlier this year, and the Masters gives him a third win in his last four starts.
The other? Scheffler finished short putt to finish second at the Houston Open.
Scottie Scheffler is headed toward his second Masters title while his pregnant wife, Meredith, watches from home.
She is usually a fixture at events he plays, but she decided to skip the Masters with their first child due at the end of the month.
She would have had to go into labor several weeks early for it to have been a problem, but Scheffler insisted this week he was willing to withdraw while leading the Masters if he got the call.
Doesn’t look like that will be the case. Instead, he’ll have another green jacket to take home to this new kiddo.
Scheffler has made things look easy on the course, at least compared to the rest of the competition. Off it has been another issue. He admitted that his wife usually cooks the breakfast, though he managed some eggs and toast on Saturday.
See you next year at Augusta National, Tyrrell Hatton
Tyrrell Hatton matched his best score at the Masters with a 69, and it could not have come at a better time.
Hatton was assured of finishing among the top 12 players who earn invitations back to Augusta National next year.
That’s a big deal for Hatton because he’s now with LIV Golf. He’s No. 19 in the world ranking, but he only has access to world ranking points in the majors, and he likely would have fallen out of the top 50 by the end of the year.
The only other LIV players in the top 12 are Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, and both are still on five-year exemptions from winning majors.
Joaquin Niemann finished out of the top 20. He received a special exemption from Augusta National from winning the Australian Open and his willingness to compete outside LIV Golf.
Will he be back next year?
“We’ll find a way,” Niemann said.