Scottie Scheffler (-4) has taken the first step towards winning his third Green Jacket and the second in a row. It’s not just the result of 68 strokes, four under par, without bogeys, but, above all, the way he has done it. It has been a demonstration of strength and power. He hasn’t made mistakes, beyond a three-putt on the 13th and a good par save on the 17th. It has been golf control. Scheffler Golf. Every shot to the spot. Making it easy. As if he couldn’t miss.
Scheffler has been brilliant from the tee, hit very good second shots, always looked for the safe place and, moreover, accompanied it with two huge birdie putts, very distant, on holes 4 and 15. Two bonuses. By the way, his birdie on the 4th is the first of his career at the Masters on this hole. The first Eight-thousander is already conquered.
Scottie takes home two great pieces of news from his debut in Augusta this year. The first is that his long game is at the level of his best performances in 2024. Perhaps he has missed leaving a few more balls closer when he had clear options from the fairway, but the World Number One knows how to avoid temptation to prevent greater evils. He plays percentages like no one else and if he has to step on a toe to stay out of trouble, he does it. Even so, fabulous display.
The other great news is his putting. He has been very brilliant on the greens. It’s really Thursday and it seems bold to say it, but the reality is that if he maintains that level of putting throughout the week, it will be very difficult for victory to slip away. Very well, very well, but others will have to play very well to overcome his granite resistance.
The first round of the third Jacket is underway. There’s still a long way to go. One round doesn’t make anything, but Scheffler has started the Masters intimidating. The conditions at Augusta have been good and, even so, there hasn’t been any spectacular round, beyond the six under that Justin Rose had after thirteen holes. There has been some wind, but it hasn’t ended up influencing too much and the course is getting hard, but still remains receptive. However, mistakes are still very costly.
Precisely, mistakes are what Scheffler doesn’t make. Or, at least, he hasn’t made them in this first round. It really felt like it hasn’t been a year since he won the Masters. It seemed like the fifth round of the 2024 edition, when he won by four strokes over Ludvig Aberg.
