Texan holds his nerve and secures his first Green Jacket

The first Major of the season at Augusta National in Georgia, USA is revelling with the unexpected news of a splinter fresh Masters Champion.  The 25-year old Texan golfer is called Scottie Scheffler.  And what an awesome player he is.  Avid golf fans already know him as the golfer who became the World No 1 after winning three tournaments in America from February this year.  He got his teeth into the Masters on day two and from then on just would not let go of his first Major victory which has earned him the illustrious Green Jacket with his score of 278, 10-under par and a whopping great cheque of nearly 2.5 million euros.

 

Scheffler’s honorable route to victory

 

Scottie Scheffler earned himself the lead at Augusta National after 36 holes with a score of 136, 8-under par.  Opening day leader Sunjae Im (South Korea) and the 2021 Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) were tucked-in just behind the American.  Naturally, the big question was could the new World No 1 golfer now win his first Major?  Could he withstand the tangible pressure to win that was oozing out of all the other players?  He was playing solidly and looked pretty certain to become a certain winner at Augusta National.  But how would he succumb to the unbearable pressure that begins on the back nine on Sunday?  Just two more rounds in Georgia and the answer would be revealed.

 

Playing with Australian Cameron Smith on Sunday, the Masters got off to a flying start with Smith making birdie on the first two holes to narrow Scheffler’s lead to just one stroke.  The third hole ended as a catastrophe for the Australian as he and Scheffler ended up short of the green for two.  Each then played a chip shot up on to the putting green.  Scheffler holed his for birdie and Smith dropped a shot.  The difference was now three strokes: Scheffler at 10-under par and Smith at 7-under.

 

 

In no time at all, Rory McIlroy and Sunjae Im were in a tie for third spot on 3-under.  Smith went on to bogey the 4th hole and would finally finish in a share of third spot with Irish golfer and the 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry on 5-under par.

 

Glorious blue, blue skies

 

Golf fans were scattered around the course in their shorts and peak-caps like glorious wedding confetti.  Wonderful cheers from the crowds under the glorious blue, blue sky in Georgia, the atmosphere was electrifying.  And a fully-focussed Scheffler just kept pouring out the greatest of shots.

 

After 17 holes, Scheffler was 12-under par which was a cool breeze ahead of McIlroy and Cameron Smith on 6-under and 5-under, respectively.  This was surely due to be his tournament – his first Major victory?

 

   

 

Thirty-two year old Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland came from ten strokes behind Scottie Scheffler at the start of Sunday’s round to shoot an impressive 8-under par 64 to finish in second place three behind Scheffler.  It was his best Major finish since 2014.

 

McIlroy opened with a birdie at the first hole and then played superbly with four more birdies and an eagle at the 13th before making another miraculous birdie out of the sand-bunker at the 18th.  A birdie honour followed by his playing partner Collin Morikawa (USA).

 

Scheffler was safely on the par-4 18th for two with a makeable birdie putt to get him to 11-under.  However, the wonderful opportunity to become the 2022 Masters Champion must have overwhelmed the Texan.  He missed the birdie, then the par and ended-up with a double-bogey six from a spittingly short-distance from the hole.  As many great golfer will tell you: “Sad, but that’s golf!”

 

And so it was that Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters with scores of 69, 67, 71 and 71 for a tally of 278, 10-under par.  His victory was three clear strokes ahead of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

 

Many, many congratulations to you Scottie Scheffler – you are a very deserving Masters Champion!  Brilliant!

 

Wendy Hoad

Editor

 

 

The Masters took place at Augusta National, Georgia USA from 7th to 10th April and attracted a formidable group of the best players in the world along with past Masters Champions such as America’s Fred Couples (1992), Scotland’s Sandy Lyle (1988) and the oldest player in the 2022 field, 64-year old Bernhard Langer (1985 and 1993).

 

 

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: 2022 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler from Texas. Centre: Runner-up Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland.  MINIS (l-r): Cameron Smith, Shane Lowry, Sunjae Im and Rory McIlroy.