AUGUSTA, Ga. – This 88th Masters meant various things for various folks.
Right here’s whose inventory is up, and whose is down, after the most recent 72 holes round Augusta Nationwide:
Up: Scottie Scheffler and his putter
The world’s top-ranked participant and heavy pre-tournament favourite completed what everybody anticipated out of him. He broke out of a logjam on the second 9 Sunday and gained going away, by 4 photographs. Aware of historic ball-striking numbers throughout his current dominance, Scheffler arguably gained this one along with his putter, which had induced him a lot hassle lately. Scheffler ranked third in common putts per gap this week, and if he continues to roll his rock like this, look out.
Down: Challengers at Amen Nook
When Scheffler birdied the par-5 thirteenth, it stretched his result in three photographs and capped an even-par displaying in his ultimate spin by way of Augusta Nationwide’s most well-known three-hole stretch. The remainder of the gamers within the ultimate three pairings, at the very least collectively, weren’t so fortunate; they performed Nos. 11-13 in a mixed 4 over. Ludvig Åberg and Collin Morikawa every rinsed strategy photographs on No. 11, every making double. Max Homa bounced over the inexperienced at No. 12, needing to take a drop and exiting Golden Bell with a double of his personal. Scheffler would additionally birdie Nos. 14 and 16, to run his final-round tally to seven, nevertheless it was arguably on Amen Nook during which he clinched his second inexperienced jacket.
Up: Fatherhood
Scheffler isn’t the primary skilled golfer to grow to be a father, however contemplating how a lot household means to the Schefflers and Scottie’s insistence that golf doesn’t outline him however moderately his life exterior of the game, whilst he asserts himself as a generational star, this impending arrival is a giant one.
Down: Facet-eye
Congrats to Ohio State senior Neal Shipley on capturing low-amateur honors, however actually, what was he taking a look at in Butler Cabin?
Up: Ludvig Åberg
Fuzzy’s designation is secure one other yr, however man, was the Swedish standout particular this week. Already a winner on the PGA and DP World excursions, and a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup crew in Rome, Åberg appeared like this was his a centesimal main, not his first one. He misplaced to Scheffler by three photographs, however he additionally was three higher than everyone else.
Down: Jordan Spieth
If Spieth’s second shot on Thursday, which ended up underneath a patron’s chair, was any indication, it was that this could be a wild week for the 2015 Masters champion. It was quick, too, as Spieth carded a quadruple bogey on the par-5 fifteenth gap en path to a first-round, 7-over 79, that successfully ended his hopes of avoiding his second Masters missed reduce in his final three begins. He’d shoot 74 in windy situations on Friday afternoon, nevertheless it was too late. Having now missed 4 of 9 weekends this yr, Spieth is definitely going to start out fielding the what’s-wrong questions once more.
Up: Wind
And, in impact, Friday’s scoring common. The second spherical produced a discipline common of 75.079, the very best second-day mark since 2007 (75.625). The gusts reached as a lot as 35 mph, and the windy situations resulted in some entertaining theatre, albeit on the expense of the rivals. Justin Thomas had probably the most surprising hassle of all, enjoying his ultimate 4 holes in 7 over to go from even par to lacking the reduce by one.
Down: Tiger Woods
Coming into this yr, Woods was assured that his newest surgical procedure, an April 2023 subtalar fusion, would allowed him to play as soon as a month this yr. That hasn’t occurred up to now, as Woods withdrew throughout his second spherical at Riviera with the flu and returned solely at this week’s Masters, the place he made his file twenty fourth straight reduce earlier than ballooning to his worst main rating on Saturday, an 82, and a closing 77 that positioned him final among the many 60 gamers who accomplished 72 holes.
Up: Homa at majors
Masters chasers reward Scheffler’s strategy
Ludvig Åberg, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim and Luke Listing speak about what makes Scottie Scheffler a particular participant after his second Masters win.
For years, Homa has heard the noise. “The rhetoric on me, and that is from myself, as effectively, is I’ve not carried out in this stuff,” he stated Sunday after his T-3 end, “and I carried out for all 4 days.” Homa’s greatest Masters displaying by far marked his second straight main top-10 (T-10 ultimately yr’s Open) after having none in his first 16 main begins, which included 9 missed cuts. He’s kicked open the door now.
Down: Greg Norman
The LIV Golf commissioner reportedly had to purchase a ticket on the secondary market to look at LIV’s 13 gamers within the discipline this week. 4 of them – DeChambeau, Cam Smith, Tyrrell Hatton and Patrick Reed – cracked the highest 12, however Fred {Couples} introduced up a stable level on Twitter; why hadn’t one of many LIV gamers provided Norman considered one of their allotted tickets?
Up: Daring tools strikes
Whether or not it was Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed, bulge-and-roll irons, which weren’t USGA conforming till Tuesday, or Morikawa’s mid-tournament putter change, each selections resulted in these gamers notching the most effective finishes of their Masters careers (DeChambeau, T-6, and Morikawa, T-3).
Down: Daring sweaters
Jason Day was advised to take off his Malbon Golf sweater after solely 5 holes Friday morning.
Up: Gnomes
The favored merch merchandise isn’t costly, retailing at $49.50, however boy, are these little guys laborious to obtain. In case you didn’t snag one, they’re obtainable for a couple of hundred {dollars} on eBay, or you’ll be able to wait till subsequent yr for the following collectable backyard pal.