Scottie Scheffler entered Saturday at the Masters with nothing to lose. After opening rounds of 70 and 74 left him at even par and a daunting 12 shots behind Rory McIlroy, the world’s top-ranked golfer found clarity in simplicity.
“I think that’s what great players do,” Scheffler said. “They rise to the occasion when you are at the biggest tournaments, and you’d be hard pressed to find another tournament that’s bigger than this one, especially for me.”
He needed birdies. He went out and got them—five of them, plus an eagle—en route to a scintillating 7-under 65. That score stands as the best competitive round Scheffler has ever posted at Augusta National.
The charge began early. At the long, downhill par-5 2nd, Scheffler whistled his approach shot straight into the heart of the green and calmly rolled in a six-foot putt for eagle. The momentum truly ignited on the front nine’s closing stretch.
Augusta National is famously a second-shot golf course, and when Scheffler is dialed in, few are better with their irons. He proved it at the 7th, sticking his approach to six feet. At the 8th, he hit it to 14 feet. At the 9th, he nestled it to a mere four feet. That blistering sequence sent him to the turn at 5-under par for the day.
“I hit it really nice today,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I was very sharp with the irons. Got it up there. Gave myself a lot of opportunities. I felt like I took advantage of those on the front nine.”
As his name climbed the iconic white leaderboards, the galleries swelled. Spectators aren’t allowed to run at Augusta, but they marched in droves from every corner of the property to catch a glimpse of the world No. 1 on a heater. By the time he reached Amen Corner, the crowd was standing 20-deep.
He delivered a signature moment at the treacherous 11th. From 200 yards out, his approach shot curled around the bank and onto the front of the green, the roars building until it settled just eight feet from the pin. It was arguably his best strike of the day.
The only speed bump came at the par-5 13th. After what looked like a perfect tee shot to the inside corner of the dogleg, Scheffler’s approach found the middle of the three greenside bunkers. He later attributed it to a mud ball. He managed to scramble for par, keeping the round intact.
He added one final birdie at the 16th, but two more opportunities slipped away. He had makeable putts from 12 feet at the 14th and from six feet at the 17th that refused to drop. A record-breaking round was tantalizingly close.
When asked if he could have, or should have, gone even lower, Scheffler’s response was blunt. “Terrible question,” he snapped. “Next question. Awful.” He quickly softened, adding, “It definitely could have been lower. But I did what I needed to do. Went out and executed to give myself some opportunities.”
His perspective shifted on Friday evening. While working on his putting in the new player facility, he got sucked into watching Rory McIlroy’s round on the big TVs. “It was pretty special stuff,” Scheffler admitted. Seeing McIlroy’s dominance gave him a fresh outlook. With 36 holes to play and a massive deficit, the mission became clear.
Now, after his 65, Scheffler sits just four shots off the lead. He’ll have kept one eye on McIlroy’s Saturday round too, noting the way the leader wobbled coming through Amen Corner.
“I think that’s why it’s such a great test,” Scheffler said. “Not only do you have to conquer this golf course, you have to conquer changing conditions, and you also have to conquer your nerves to get it done around here. There’s numerous challenges to get it done in this tournament, and we’ll see what happens as the weekend progresses.”
For Scottie Scheffler, the challenge now is clear. He’s conquered the course for one day. On Sunday, he’ll aim to conquer the leaderboard.
