Breakfast Ball #15: Scottie Too Hottie for Augusta

Golf needed this weekend. There is no better way to forget about merger deals and competing tours than a Sunday at Augusta.

Congrats to David Earls, the winner of our Masters competition with a score of -8. A 2023 Ryder Cup hat will be making it’s way to the golfing stronghold of Killimordaly very soon.

In This Week’s Newsletter:

Scottie Wins his Second Masters Title by Four Strokes ahead of Ludvig Åberg

As Scottie Scheffler’s second shot on the 9th hole spun back and rested 3 inches from the hole, it almost felt inevitable. The best golfer in the world was going to win the best golf tournament in the world.

Scheffler’s second major championship victory was strong and decisive. It is his third win in four starts, adding The Masters to The Players and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He started the tournament with a 66 on Thursday, and persisted through tough windy conditions on Friday and Saturday to post scores of 72 and 71 and lead by one going into the final round. At one point on Sunday, four players were tied for the lead after Scheffler bogeyed the par three sixth. However, Scheffler never really seemed bothered by those around him, continuing to play with the utmost power and precision.

There has been considerable discussion about Scheffler’s putting since the start of the year, identified as the sole flaw in his otherwise impeccable game. However, a change occurred when he switched putters prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, leading to remarkable improvements. In the 15 tournaments before the API, Scheffler had been losing an average of 0.45 strokes per round due to his putting. Since adopting the new putter, he has gained an average of 0.68 strokes per round. This significant improvement has been a key driver of his recent success.

As is often the case, Amen Corner played a decisive role on Masters Sunday. Each of Scheffler's nearest rivals incurred double bogeys during the pivotal three-hole stretch. Meanwhile, Scheffler secured birdies on the 8th, 9th, and 10th holes, then navigated Amen Corner at even par, establishing a three-shot lead. He maintained this lead through to the end, clinching his second green jacket. This victory was particularly special as he returned home to his wife Meredith, who is expecting their first child imminently.

European Young Guns Impress at Augusta as Åberg Finishes Second

That is one way to announce yourself to the world. If they didn’t already know, they do now: Ludvig Åberg is here. In his major championship debut, Åberg displayed his potential on the biggest stage. A final round 69 gave him a second place finish, four shots behind the champion and three shots ahead of the rest of the field. His poise and calmness throughout the final round was incredible. It seemed like he was built to play in these high-pressured environments, even when he loses his power bar on the walk to the 10th tee.

After hitting his second shot on the 11th hole into the water, Åberg bounced back with birdies on the 13th and 14th: “My team and I have focused a lot on playing no matter what happens. If you just keep playing, skills are going to show up.” Most European golf fans knew about Ludvig’s potential from his performance at Marco Simone last September. Now the whole golfing world knows.

One of Europe’s other young stars also had his part to play in the 2024 Masters. Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard started the week with a 5-under 67, and was leading at one point on Saturday afternoon after three straight birdies on the 8th, 9th and 10th holes. However, a stretch of five straight bogeys ended his chances at the green jacket as he ended up finishing the tournament tied for 16th. Højgaard had been struggling for form coming into The Masters after missing the cut at The Players and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, this performance should give him plenty of encouragement for the rest of the season.

Other European Results:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for 3rd (-4) after an impressive performance. He did not have an over par round or a double bogey the entire weekend

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tyrrell Hatton, despite a lack of confidence in his ability and some whining about the conditions, finished in T9 (E)

• 🇫🇷 Matthieu Pavon finished in T12 on his Masters debut, guaranteeing himself a spot at next year’s tournament

• 🇦🇹 Sepp Straka finished T16 (+2), with ☘️ McIlroy and 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Matt Fitzpatrick in T22 (+4) rounding out the top 25

• There were disappointing weeks for Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Stephan Jaeger, and Adrian Meronk, who all missed the cut

The 2024 Masters in Numbers

+6

The score needed to make the cut at the tournament. José Maria Olazabal, at the ripe age of 58, made the cut on the number. He outlasted players such as Viktor Hovland, Dustin Johnson, and Wyndham Clark.

68

Danny Willett’s first round score on Thursday. This was his first round back after a six month hiatus for shoulder surgery. It was great to see a former Masters champion in the mix early, despite his struggles over the weekend.

8

The number of players to finish under par for the tournament. Conditions were rough in Augusta on Friday and Saturday. The scoring average was 75.1 on 74.3 those days respectively, as players struggled with the wind. This was the fewest players under par at the tournament for 8 years.

15

The number of strokes Rory McIlroy finished behind champion Scottie Scheffler. It just doesn’t seem like it is going to happen for Rory at Augusta. He was fourth in the field in strokes gained off the tee, but 43rd in putting (including a 4 putt on the 13th on Sunday) and 56th around the green. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to get it done.

Coming up this week on Tour

• The RBC Heritage takes place in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina as the PGA Tour has another signature event

• The DP World Tour and LIV Golf do not return until April 25th

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