Scottie Scheffler produces stubborn yet imaginative golf to lead the Masters charge
Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler. As many as seven golfers exchanged the lead on a roller coaster day, even as the Sun shone brightly over Augusta. In the end though, there was just one possible outcome, or so we learnt. Scheffler, the irrepressible world No.1 survived a midround stumble to work his way back to the top of the leaderboard. Nothing else has felt more certain this week. A 71 was enough to hoist him to the top at 7-under 209.
Scheffler has momentum and history supporting his claims for a second Green Jacket. As many as 28 of the last 33 Masters champions started Sunday in the final group (according to Justin Ray of the sports intelligence outfit, Twenty First Group). The first win at Augusta had also come to Scheffler when he slept on the 54-hole lead in 2022.
The world No.1 was quickly up by two with birdies at the first and third holes. A double bogey at the tenth was his biggest stumble on the day. He fired his iron too hot, sending the ball rolling 27 yards behind the pin. Scheffler sent his third 60 feet past the flag, eventually taking a six. At the eleventh, once again from the middle of the fairway, as he was on the tenth, Scheffler left his approach just short of the green. He fell back to four under, caught in the vortex of a downward spiral.
Amazingly, and in characteristic fashion, Scheffler bounced back with an eagle on the par-5 13th hole, punching the air with all the vigour in his outstretched right arm. His second traveled 217 yards, leaving him a good 31 feet to the right of
