Scottie Scheffler’s win, Aberg’s Masters potential

Test in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the most popular subjects within the sport, and be a part of the dialog by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we talk about Scottie Scheffler’s Masters win, Ludvig Aberg’s potential, Tiger Woods’ week and extra

1. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, choosing up his second inexperienced jacket and, within the course of, his third win in his final 4 begins. Have we formally entered the Scottie Scheffler period in professional golf? And, in that case, simply how dominant can his run be?

Josh Sens, senior author (@joshsens): It was kinda seeming just like the Scheffler period earlier than the match even started, as he was just about successful or contending in each occasion he entered. The percentages on him as a favourite coming into the Masters additional underscored that time. They weren’t precisely what they have been for Tiger Woods at his peak, however they have been shut. And rightly so, as a result of we haven’t seen this type of dominance since Tiger. How lengthy can he preserve it? He’s going to win loads extra. However he’s additionally about to turn into a dad for the primary time. We’ve seen it earlier than. Issues can change when golfers begin altering diapers. Let’s speak after the PGA Championship in Could, when he’s a couple of weeks into sleep-deprived fatherhood.

Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): Good level, Josh. It positive feels just like the Scheffler period — and it’s much-deserved. His all-around recreation is so good, so regular, it’s exhausting to discover a motive to see an finish in sight. So far as a possible change in priorities when his youngster arrives, effectively, he already appears fairly tuned in to what’s most necessary in life. Perhaps that’s his actual superpower. However as Josh stated, time will inform on that entrance.  

Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): It’s Scottie’s world and we’re dwelling in it. If he retains placing like he has over the past six weeks, we may very well be in for a run like Rory in 2014, Spieth in 2015 or DJ in 2017. (And possibly even higher?) All I do know is that Scottie is a reduce above everybody else in professional golf proper now. We may very well be in for a traditionally dominant run.

2. What impressed you most about Scheffler’s final round or week?

Sens: How easy it appeared, even when he didn’t have every little thing dialed in. His distance management along with his irons was a bit off early Sunday, however irrespective of. His brief recreation picked him up. So it goes with Scheffler. To make one other Tiger comparability, he can win along with his B recreation. Or, as a good friend noticed, astutely: he’s the Nikola Jokic of golf. Doesn’t look like he’s doing a lot however then you definately search for, and he’s obtained one other triple-double. Or, reasonably, a second inexperienced jacket

Marksbury: To not belabor the Tiger comparisons, however Woods was all the time lauded for his psychological toughness, and the extra we see Scheffler compete below stress, the extra impressed I’m along with his capacity to stay unruffled, at the very least on the skin. It’s straightforward to overlook that this factor was tied with the again 9 looming. However Scheffler’s expertise and persistence and poise outpaced his rivals by a large margin.

Melton: His decision-making. As Sens famous, it didn’t seem like Scottie has his A-game, and he nonetheless destroyed the sphere. He did that by preserving himself out of hassle and understanding the place to overlook. Scottie is just not solely one of the crucial proficient golfers, he’s one of many smartest, too.

3. Two years in the past, Scheffler led by three after 54 holes. This 12 months, he had extra firm. Which contender are you most stunned let his chance slip away on the finish?

Sens: Morikawa, as a result of he was probably the most battle-proven, and he appeared to have all elements of his recreation so as. The shot he left within the bunker on 9 and the water ball on 11 – each of which led to doubles – weren’t the form of errors I anticipated him to make.

Marksbury: Aberg was so spectacular on the entrance 9 that I actually thought he would possibly give Scheffler a scare. However that water ball on 11 should have been actually deflating. You simply can’t endure a double-bogey at Amen Nook on Sunday! Had that gap gone in another way, I feel we might have been in for a way more dramatic end. However I positive am excited to look at Aberg in the remainder of the majors this 12 months. 

Melton: Two nice solutions above, so I’ll go in a unique course and say Bryson DeChambeau. He appeared like he’d lastly solved Augusta on Thursday, after which battled via some brutal circumstances on Friday to share the 36-hole lead. However he wasn’t fairly so sharp over the weekend and light down the stretch. I figured he’d be extra of a contender come Sunday afternoon.

4. A bunch of excellent, younger, green-jacket-less gamers battled atop the leaderboard on Sunday. Which one is almost definitely to win a Masters subsequent, and why?

Sens: Ludvig Aberg. The facility recreation. The poise. The placing. He’s clearly obtained all of the pictures to deal with Augusta. And by all appearances, he has the mindset for it, too. Positive, there was that one large miss on his method on the eleventh. However sheesh, it was his first main and he beat everybody however the most effective participant on the planet.

Marksbury: For positive, Josh. I don’t wish to double up on Aberg, so I’ll go along with Homa. He’s raised his recreation in a giant means over the past couple of years, and eventually broke via to contend at Augusta, the place his earlier finest end was T43. I additionally actually favored his Zen frame of mind this week. To paraphrase, he principally stated, I can solely be nearly as good as I’m. And that’s sufficient for me. Love that! I’ve to imagine he’ll get his main ultimately — and possibly it is going to be a Masters.

Melton: There’s just one appropriate reply right here, and it’s Ludvig Aberg. Not solely was this his first Masters, this was his first main! And he completed second, solely being bested by the most effective participant on the planet. Ludvig has already gained on each the PGA and European Excursions, and now he’s confirmed his recreation holds up in majors, too. He seems to be golf’s subsequent famous person, and it’s exhausting to think about a future during which he doesn’t win a inexperienced jacket.

5. With golf’s PGA Tour vs. LIV divide, a lot has been stated and written about this week’s discipline being the most effective we’ve seen in months. Did this week really feel any extra significant given the fracture within the recreation?

Sens: I dunno. The Masters all the time feels significant. I’m undecided the match itself felt considerably completely different. However like the opposite majors, it does remind us of what the professional recreation has misplaced the remainder of the 12 months.

Marksbury: Completely! The most effective gamers multi function place. That’s the which means we’ve been lacking, and we recognize an increasing number of because it’s turn into extra uncommon.

Melton: Perhaps no more significant, but it surely did remind me how a lot having a fractured professional recreation sucks. It’s a disgrace we solely get to look at guys like Bryson, Reed and Phil play in opposition to the world’s finest with one thing significant on the road 4 instances a 12 months. 

6. Tiger Woods set the report for most consecutive cuts made at a Masters (24) however finished last among the many gamers to make the reduce. How would you sum up Tiger’s week? And would you count on higher or worse from him within the remaining three majors of the 12 months?

Sens: I believed it was fairly spectacular that he obtained via to the weekend, along with his bum leg on such a hilly course in that blustery climate. He was keen himself round Augusta. It appeared prefer it was going to be only a matter of time earlier than the circumstances and the course caught as much as him. And so it was. Woods clearly isn’t simply going on the market making an attempt to make cuts. However I feel that will rely as a form of victory in the remainder of the 12 months’s majors, with the Open Championship being his finest likelihood to truly contend, although I wouldn’t wager on that both.

Marksbury: Tiger Woods has all the time been the king of clutch moments, and, as a golf historical past buff, I’ve to imagine he knew precisely what he was taking part in for in Rounds 1 and a couple of, and he performed some significantly good golf to do it. As soon as he owned the consecutive-cuts report outright, although, possibly truly contending was simply an excessive amount of to bear. Given what he’s been via bodily, I feel ending 72 holes is a win in itself. And I feel he might nonetheless shock us on a observe that’s simpler to stroll.

Melton: I used to be impressed he made the reduce, however his physique simply isn’t in a spot the place he might be aggressive for 72 holes. Humorous because it sounds, I count on him to have a stable week at this summer season’s U.S. Open. Pinehurst No. 2 is a comparatively flat course, and there’s no tough to talk of. The greens are Augusta-esque in that they require a lot creativeness to navigate, and I feel that’ll play proper into his hand. I might see him having week within the sand hills this summer season. 

7. Ten years from now, what’s going to you keep in mind most in regards to the 2024 Masters?

Sens: The loopy winds, the issue of the circumstances and Tiger capturing 82.

Marksbury: The wind, for positive!

Melton: The crispy circumstances and Scottie’s dominance.