Scottie Scheffler is 18 holes from a green jacket
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It appeared as if each marshal from each nook of Augusta Nationwide had descended on the small thicket of timber that separate the 18th fairway from the again finish of a concession stand.
This was the no-man’s land that Scottie Scheffler had duck-hooked his tee shot, instantly casting a Masters he had been dominating for days on finish into doubt. Possibly, simply perhaps, the 25-year-old Texan, presently on a two-month heater of all heaters however staring on the stress of making an attempt to shut out his first main, was about to let issues get attention-grabbing.
A misplaced ball on the 54th gap?
Regardless of what number of males poked by way of bushes or peered round corners, nobody might discover it. A pair climbed up a inexperienced fence to look right into a rubbish space behind the stand. One other searched by way of a couple of empty packing containers. Others went inclined to see at floor stage.
“Seen a ball?” one marshal requested a couple of followers who had been standing round.
They chuckled as he broke right into a grimace on the state of affairs. He was critical.
“Seen one?” he repeated.
Again on the 18th tee, Sheffler started to note the commotion, all of the folks scurrying about within the woods. For as soon as, his unflappable method was rattled.
He had seemingly answered each bobble right here with a birdie, exhibiting the sector he wasn’t going to break down. A misplaced ball nevertheless could be a one-shot penalty and require Sheffler to tee off once more. Whereas he held a four-shot cushion over Cam Smith on the time, the thought of closing out with a double bogey or worse was not interesting.
“We noticed the man with the flag who all the time finds the ball type of panicking,” Sheffler mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Oh crap.’ … [My heart rate] went up after I noticed they couldn’t discover the ball. … You hate to lose a golf ball with all these folks round.”
The ball was finally discovered deep beneath a bush. Sheffler took a penalty stroke however didn’t need to return to the tee. As a substitute he mentioned his coronary heart returned to regular functioning and he fired a 3 iron straight up the 18th hill to the again of the inexperienced.
A fast up and down later, he carded a bogey and the meltdown was averted. “Felt like a par,” he mentioned.
He’ll head into Sunday at -9, with simply Smith (-6) and Sungjae Im (-4) looking like legitimate contenders. Briefly, that is nonetheless his Masters to win.
“It is good being accountable for the golf event,” he mentioned.
Scheffler is an enchanting character proper now. Regardless of three years and 64 begins on the PGA Tour, he had by no means gained an occasion till mid-February when he captured the Waste Administration Open in Phoenix. Since then he’s gained two extra occasions on Tour and lit up Augusta National in a way no one else has.
Regardless of a chilly and callous wind on Saturday, he posted his third spherical under par. Solely six different golfers are within the pink for your complete event.
Scheffler’s power has been a capability to play with uncommon poise and goal. He appears unimaginable to rattle, approaches every resolution with nice deliberation and talks about some type of zen that surrounds him. He even walks in at an unbothered tempo, like he’s simply floating across the joint.
Once more, this can be a man who had by no means gained a event two months in the past, admits he was a “sizzling head” again in faculty and laments that he routinely lacked focus to play full rounds at a peak stage.
Now he’s some steely, regular veteran?
“That’s positively one thing I’ve discovered over time,” Scheffler mentioned. “I’ve matured lots since I performed junior golf and faculty. … Once I recover from a shot now, I am absolutely assured that I will make swing. And that is actually all I can do. The remainder is not as much as me. I can not fear in regards to the gust or the place the wind is coming or how the shot goes to bounce …
“Successful golf tournaments out right here just isn’t straightforward,” Scheffler continued. “It’s totally difficult. So realizing that unhealthy issues are going to occur and with the ability to react to these issues in a optimistic approach is extraordinarily vital.”
If Scheffler was going to let the sector again into this event, then a gusty back-nine was it. However when “unhealthy issues” occurred, he simply shrugged them away. He bogeyed 12, however answered with a birdie on 13. He bogeyed 14 after which on 15 noticed a powerful breeze push his ball previous the outlet on a birdie putt.
“Cease it, wind,” Scheffler shouted.
He posted one other bogey, however didn’t permit the frustration to linger. He went on to birdie 17. And sure, he bombed that drive on 18 — “Properly, clearly I did not hit tee shot,” he joked — however moved on anyway. It was an up-and-down stretch of play on a course that’s identified to crush even all-time greats, however he simply smiled all through.
“I had lots of enjoyable on the market,” he mentioned.
He did know that he was main the Masters, didn’t he?
“Simply making an attempt to remain in my very own lane.”
Scheffler was loving every part about this. He coveted having the 54-hole lead and the stress that comes with it. It’s the type of game-within-the-game problem he’s all the time needed to face.
He would quickly go to the driving vary and mentioned he’d spend his evening at a rented home right here along with his spouse, watching The Workplace.
He thought they’d get to the third episode of season 4 — “Angela stays sad about her cat.” Possibly a couple of extra after that.
“It is by far my favourite present,” he mentioned. “I adore it.”
He hasn’t regarded nervous. He doesn’t look nervous.
“I’m trying ahead to tomorrow.”
