MAKING OF MASTER SCHEFF
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER will shoot for a Green Jacket today as golf’s Midas man.
Everything the American has touched of late has turned to gold with three wins in his last five PGA Tour starts powering him to the world No.1 spot.
Scheffler has a great opportunity to extend his incredible run with a first Major today after making his mark on Augusta over the first three rounds of The Masters.
“I think he’s channeling good, old-fashioned confidence,” said former Europe Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.
“He’s come in on the crest of a wave and he’s trending towards what could be a great victory for him and what could be the first of many Major wins for him. He’s a hell of a player. There aren’t many weaknesses with the improvement in his putting from 120th to 15th on the PGA Tour over the last two years.
“He has a great swing and a game that has longevity, absolutely.”
The devout Christian, who has raised more than £3.1million for a children’s cancer charity after losing a junior golf team-mate to the disease, is playing in only his third Masters but was hot-housed in his Augusta education by being
paired with Tiger Woods and then Phil Mickelson, who have eight Green Jackets
between them, at his
first two.
“I’ve had some really good experience just being able to watch
those guys around this place,” said the 25-year-old.
He also has the experienced Ted Scott, who caddied for Bubba Watson when he won his two Masters titles, on his bag.
Scott’s input was invaluable as the wind swirled around Augusta during the second round when Scheffler was able to open up a five-shot lead.
No one has failed to win at The
Masters with such an advantage at the halfway mark since 1946.
Scheffler set out on his third round yesterday knowing this was his tournament to lose, a position which brought its own pressures.
He has been doing his best to deflect them by playing board games in the house he is renting with world No.11 Sam Burns.
Burns’ take on golf’s current hottest commodity is that the “goofy” Scheffler is laid-back enough to cope.
Scheffler himself raises a shrug at the career-changing opportunity.
“I’ve prepared for a long time to be in moments like this and to win golf tournaments,” he added. “I’ve done all the preparation I can do.
“And if I win this tournament, then great; and if I don’t, that’s OK too because I did everything I could and the rest isn’t up to me.”