Masters 2024: Scottie Scheffler wins second green jacket at Augusta National

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler proved why he was a hot favorite ahead of the tournament with a dominant performance at Augusta National, winning his second Masters title.

Scheffler, who led by shot overnight, shot a 4-under 68 in Sunday's final round to finish with a four-shot lead at 11 under.

Sweden's Ludwig Aberg shot a 69 to take second place in his major debut.

England's Tommy Fleetwood (69) tied for third place with American pair Collin Morikawa (74) and Max Homa (73).

Fleetwood put together an impressive round, moving up the leaderboard late and posting his best finish at the Masters.

But catching Scheffler was impossible. The 27-year-old American showed rare emotion on the 18th green as he won his second Masters in three years and received praise from Augusta patrons.

There was also a possibility that the 2022 champion would not be able to complete the final round.

Scheffler's wife, Meredith, is expecting their first child, and the Texan said Saturday that he is prepared to leave Augusta mid-round if the baby begins Sunday.

At the green jacket presentation ceremony, Scheffler told his wife, “I love you. I'm going home. I'm going home as soon as I can.”

He added: “Words can't describe what it feels like to win here again and to be a father for the first time.''

Since Tiger Woods took the golf world by storm in the 2000s, no player has come to Augusta as a stronger favorite than Scheffler.

He entered his first major of the year with two wins in the past three tournaments, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship, and a runner-up finish at the Houston Open.

His intimidating form, combined with his pedigree as a former Masters champion, meant the odds were as short as 4-1 at the start of the week.

Although he did not reach the heights expected after an eventful round in the opening three days, especially on Saturday, where he bounced back from several mistakes, he still led in shots until Sunday.

However, he had trouble controlling his distance with the early irons and suffered a bogey on the 7th hole, falling back alongside Morikawa and Aberg. Homa also made a birdie on the 8th hole, giving him a 4-way tie for the lead.

But Scheffler, playing alongside Morikawa in a group behind Aberg and Homa, took the bar on the same hole and took the lead again at 7 under.

Then came a magical moment that felt like a potential turning point, but it proved to be one.

Scheffler nearly holed out an epic 89-yard approach on the 9th, showing sublime skill in spinning the ball and using Augusta's contours to roll the ball toward the pin for back-to-back birdie tap-ins.

Scheffler added a third straight birdie on the 10th, but it was still too close to call as the leaders approached Amen Corner, the famous section of the course consisting of holes 11, 12 and 13.

But by the time he teed off on the short 12th hole, his tournament was over.

Scheffler's closest rivals, Aberg, Morikawa, and Homa, all made devastating double bogeys in the space of about 15 minutes, giving Scheffler a three-stroke lead despite a bogey on the 11th hole. I gave it away.

Aberg and Morikawa dropped their approaches into the water on the 11th, but on the iconic par-3 12th, Homa took a bad bounce into the bushes and received a one-stroke penalty.

From there, Scheffler relaxed even more and made birdies on the 13th, 14th and 16th to seal the victory.

Aberg's hopes of becoming the third player to win in his first major start were dashed, but he recovered with birdies on the 13th and 14th holes to finish second.

The level-headed 24-year-old, who only turned professional 10 months ago, was hailed as a “generational talent” by Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald before helping Europe defeat the United States in Rome last September. It was praised.

He has been praised for his clean ball strikes and showed this weekend why he is expected to challenge for the majors on a regular basis.

The progress of the British and Northern Irish players was quite disappointing, but the 33-year-old Fleetwood persevered and was rewarded with a top-10 finish.

Fleetwood actually needed a better round to be a serious contender, but his solid play left him feeling optimistic heading into next month's PGA Championship at Valhalla.

“I think we needed a little more fireworks, but the golf course didn't really contribute much,” said Fleetwood, who was appearing in his eighth Masters.

“Nobody knows if my time will come, but all I can do is keep trying to put myself out there and put in performances like this.”

Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy His 10-year wait to avoid a major title continued, and he was unable to finish it in a hurry.

The 34-year-old won four majors from 2011 to 2014 (two PGA Championships, plus British Open Championship and US Open), but is only the sixth player to complete a career Grand Slam. Because he was aiming to become a man, he never competed for the championship.

McIlroy struggled in the testing environment, starting the round with rounds of 71, 77 and 71, but carded a final 73 and finished with a big lead at four overs.

“It's not my year yet, but I'll be back until it's my year,” he said.

of england Tyrrell Hutton After shooting a 69 on the final day, it was a flat par, but matt fitzpatrick Finished with 4 overs and became the 2016 champion. Danny Willett Playing in his first tournament since undergoing shoulder surgery in September, he faded after a strong start and finished with just nine overs.

5 Masters wins tiger woods He finished last among the 60 players who participated in all four rounds, scoring a 5-over 77 and finishing with a total of 16 overs.

Just appearing over the weekend was a feat for the 15-time champion, who has barely played over the past year as he continues to recover from injuries sustained in a February 2021 car accident.

But as a packed gallery followed the scene of Woods' most famous victory, patrons shouted for him from the final green and hoped to see more of the 48-year-old at Augusta in the future.

defending champion Jon Rahm He was already out of contention for the championship, and things got worse when he posted his best total in eight Masters appearances.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, who made a surprise move to the LIV Golf Tour, where he has been absent since last year's victory, shot a 76 and finished at 9 over.