Answering golf’s biggest questions after Scottie Scheffler’s Masters win

“I really feel like enjoying skilled golf is an endlessly not satisfying profession,” Scheffler mentioned. “I want I may soak this in a bit of bit extra. Perhaps I’ll tonight after I get residence. However on the finish of the day, I believe that is what the human coronary heart does. You at all times need extra, and I believe you need to combat these issues and give attention to what’s good.”

Do not get Scheffler flawed. He nonetheless needs to win. And he mentioned as a lot, admitting how a lot he loves profitable and hates shedding. As if to show his level, he is teeing it up at Hilton Head on Thursday and can undoubtedly be the favourite to win.

That is Scheffler’s new actuality, if it wasn’t already earlier than: He might be anticipated to win and questioned when he would not. But when anybody is ready to shoulder these expectations, it is him. And if anybody has the sport to maintain profitable, be it PGA Tour occasions or majors this yr and past, it is him.

Is Rory ever going to finish the profession Grand Slam?

Schlabach: I am nonetheless a believer in Rory lastly profitable a inexperienced jacket and changing into solely the sixth males’s golfer to finish the profession Grand Slam within the Masters period. I do not assume his efficiency at Augusta Nationwide was a results of him buckling beneath strain or wanting a inexperienced jacket an excessive amount of. His present type simply is not nice, and he is aware of it.

McIlroy carded a 1-under 71 within the first spherical and a 6-over 77 within the second. He did not play nicely within the windy circumstances, however he wasn’t the one one who struggled. He has only one top-10 end in seven tour occasions, so his outcomes weren’t nice coming into Augusta Nationwide.

After Sunday’s spherical, McIlroy mentioned he was assured he can flip issues round earlier than he performs the ultimate three majors. He is scheduled to play on this week’s RBC Heritage and with Shane Lowry within the Zurich Traditional of New Orleans group occasion April 25-28. It appears like Rory goes to maintain grinding to determine issues out.

“Yeah, in all probability not the appropriate time to be analytical in the mean time, however I believe as nicely should you’re actually going to make wholesale adjustments it is arduous to play a whole lot of golf and make them on the identical time,” McIlroy mentioned.

“I do not really feel like I must make wholesale adjustments. That is why I am enjoying lots. But when the time comes that I must make wholesale adjustments with my golf swing and actually attempt to reassess, it might be a six-month to a yr course of. … I do not assume I am there but, however there might come a time the place I would like to handle that and actually return to the drafting board.”

Uggetti: All the pieces about McIlroy’s expertise and expertise signifies that he’ll win one other main. Whether or not it may be at Augusta is a complete different query.

Because the four-time main winner talked about this week, he has tried nearly each completely different strategy coming into the Masters — arriving early, arriving late — and although he has accomplished every thing from end within the top-10 to overlook the lower the previous few years, he has but to return near profitable.

“All I can do is come right here and take a look at my finest,” McIlroy mentioned after his 1-under spherical Saturday. “That is what I do each time I present up. Some years it is higher than others. I’ve simply received to maintain displaying up and attempt to do the appropriate factor.”

Although McIlroy leaves Augusta with a tie for twenty second, there are a number of alternatives this yr for him so as to add to his main whole. He heads to Valhalla for the PGA Championship subsequent, the positioning of his final main win in 2014. Familiarity hasn’t accomplished a lot for McIlroy at Augusta — or elsewhere for that matter — however his sport is just too good to not lead to one other main.

I am curious to see how McIlroy approaches Augusta subsequent yr after one other disappointing outcome. Will he play extra? Will he play much less? Will he see one other swing coach? Or can he merely keep the course? This yr, McIlroy was a firsthand witness to how Scheffler was in a position to conquer Augusta for the second time in three years.

McIlroy wants just one, however maybe the important thing could be profitable a serious earlier than Augusta. In fact, that is simpler mentioned than accomplished, but when McIlroy can win at Valhalla or Pinehurst or Royal Troon, perhaps among the strain surrounding this week can dissipate and permit him to freely chase after the coveted fourth main on his résumé.

Largest winner(s) of the event?

Schlabach: Moreover Scheffler, it needs to be Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, who completed solo second at 7 beneath in his Masters debut. The previous Texas Tech star was attempting to turn into the primary golfer to win the Masters in his debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Aberg would have been solely the third participant to win a serious championship in his first begin because the Masters was first performed in 1934 — Ben Curtis (2003 Open Championship) and Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship) are the others.

Aberg, 24, gained the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour in September, competed for the profitable European Ryder Cup group in Rome, after which captured his first PGA Tour victory on the RSM Traditional in November.

In keeping with Information Golf, Aberg led the Masters subject in strokes gained: placing (3.19) and was third in strokes gained: off the tee (1.66). He has an entire sport.

“I believe he confirmed why on the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy mentioned. “I believe each stage all through his very, very younger profession, he is proven that he belongs. Will get the win in Europe, performs the Ryder Cup, will get the win within the States, enjoying in his first Masters, contending on the again 9 on Sunday. He is type of confirmed at each stage that he is performed at that he belongs.”

Uggetti: Let’s discuss Max Homa. Although the ultimate outcome won’t have been what Homa and his social media devotees needed, the week was undoubtedly a win for him. For the primary time at Augusta, Homa was in true rivalry, and that counts for one thing. He performed nice golf and managed his manner round a troublesome course by displaying he belongs as a top-10 participant on this planet.

Homa has realized to make use of persistence to his benefit, and although this outcome would require much more persistence, Homa is provided to deal with it.

“I assumed I dealt with myself nice,” Homa mentioned Sunday. “Actually did not really feel like I blinked.”

There are definitely pictures Homa want to have again — such because the tee ball on 12 that resulted in a double bogey — however within the face of Scheffler’s dominance, Homa was capable of finding solace in how he competed all week and what it meant for his possibilities at future majors.

“I simply really feel like I realized. I really feel like I took a giant leap,” Homa mentioned. “The rhetoric on me, and that is from myself, as nicely, is I’ve not carried out in this stuff, and I carried out for all 4 days. I did not throw a 65 in there and sneak my manner in. I needed to sleep on this each single day, this sense and sort of this monkey on my again. For me, I believe it’s going to change some issues, after which in different methods it’s going to change nothing in any respect.”

Largest loser(s) of the event?

Schlabach: I am unsure if anybody has had back-to-back endings on the Masters as painful as Justin Thomas’ the previous two seasons.

In 2023, JT carded bogeys on three of the final 4 holes to overlook the lower on the Masters by 1 stroke, which left him standing beneath an umbrella within the rain along with his arms crossed in disbelief.

This yr, Thomas was in nice form to make the lower and probably make a transfer on the weekend. However then he went 7 over on the ultimate 4 holes to overlook the lower by 1 stroke. That is going to sting for some time.

Uggetti: A number of golfers completed under Jon Rahm this week, however loads of golfers completed above him, too, together with Scheffler, who beat Rahm by 20 pictures. As a defending Masters champion, it is by no means simple to be the one who has to place the inexperienced jacket on the winner realizing full nicely you didn’t retain it.

However for Rahm, the dilemma goes past Butler Cabin. He confirmed as much as Augusta having performed much less golf within the lead-up than some other yr due to his departure to LIV Golf. It was unclear how a lot his sport would undergo, if in any respect, from enjoying in 54-hole occasions and never tournaments just like the Genesis Invitational, the place he had additionally gained in 2023.

Rahm regarded sluggish, by no means seeming to seek out the best type to compete, not to mention contend. It is tough to repeat as a Masters champion, however it’s additionally not an incredible signal that Rahm will depart Augusta and have to attend per week earlier than heading to Australia and Singapore to play towards worse fields with a view to prepare for the following main in mid Could.

Favorites for majors?

Schlabach: The following main championship, the PGA Championship on Could 16-19, goes to require an entire sport. Primarily based on what I noticed at Augusta Nationwide, I would not be stunned to see Aberg decide up his first main. However for now, it is arduous to cross up Scheffler. I am tempted to select him for one or two extra. I am simply unsure how being a father for the primary time will have an effect on him.

So far as the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina on June 13-16, I will go together with Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the reigning FedEx Cup champion. I do know his sport was a multitude on the Masters, however his sport units up completely for Pinehurst No. 2. Hovland hits the ball lengthy and precisely off the tee, and he is probably the greatest ball strikers on this planet with an iron in his hand. There’s loads of time for him to get his type again so as earlier than the U.S. Open.

In opposition to maybe higher judgment, I will decide McIlroy to win The Open at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland on July 18-21. McIlroy’s main drought might be practically 10 years lengthy by then — he final gained on the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla — and it has to finish in some unspecified time in the future.

He tied for fifth at Royal Troon in 2016 and for sixth at Royal Liverpool throughout Brian Harman‘s breakthrough main win in July 2023. He tied for fifth on the 2016 Open at Royal Troon and had two top-six finishes previously two Opens.

Uggetti: The PGA Championship at Valhalla might be very acquainted for Rory McIlroy — who gained his final main there in 2014 — however after watching Ludvig Aberg chart his manner round Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership this previous week, it is tough to not see him having an actual shot at any of the yr’s remaining three majors.

The 24-year-old golfer from Sweden has already proven he can compete on the PGA Tour stage and this week, throughout his first Masters, he did nothing to dissuade the notion that he might be a serious winner someday. Aberg hung in with the No. 1 participant on this planet, Scottie Scheffler, and …

Talking of Scheffler, with regards to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, there’s little to no must look previous Scheffler whose ballstriking ought to shine on the well-known No. 2 course. With improved placing and an underrated brief sport, I may see Scheffler replicating the sort of efficiency Martin Kaymer had in 2014, when he went wire-to-wire at Pinehurst to win the U.S. Open by eight pictures.

Of all of this yr’s majors, the Open Championship at Royal Troon looks as if the hardest to foretell this far forward. Climate will seemingly be an element, and after watching Brian Harman dominate the sector at Royal Liverpool, it may actually be anybody’s sport in July. McIlroy ought to as soon as once more truthful nicely, however I like Tommy Fleetwood’s possibilities, too. He retains getting shut and simply completed prime 10 on the Masters, too.

What’s subsequent for Tiger?

Uggetti: Even after trying like a shell of himself Saturday and Sunday and ending 16-over for the event, Woods did not hesitate in verbally committing to the remainder of the yr’s majors after his last spherical concluded.

“I will do my homework going ahead at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon, however that is sort of the sport plan,” Woods mentioned.

What is going to seemingly be extra telling is that if Tiger performs some other occasions in any respect. He had performed solely 24 aggressive holes of golf coming into Augusta and in some cases, the rust actually confirmed this weekend. On Saturday, he seemed to be laboring, and although he returned Sunday and gave the impression to be doing significantly better, the query of how his physique will proceed to carry up stays.

Woods, nevertheless, stays undeterred from persevering with to enhance and compete it doesn’t matter what.

“Preserve lifting, hold the motor going, hold the physique shifting, hold getting stronger, hold progressing,” Woods mentioned of what is subsequent. “Hopefully the follow classes will hold getting longer.”

It is clear that the extra golf Woods performs, the extra ready he might be for the majors through which he is nonetheless attempting to compete. Nevertheless it’s not that simple when his physique remains to be a every day impediment he’ll have to beat. No less than this week, he was in a position to end 72 holes.

Schlabach: Whereas posting the worst spherical of his Masters profession (10-over 82) and worst 72-hole whole as an expert (16-over 304) needed to be humbling for the 15-time main champion, the truth that he completed a 72-hole event was a step in the appropriate route.

Exterior of Saturday’s third spherical, when he misplaced his swing and struggled in windy circumstances, he did not look that dangerous. He drove the ball nicely off the tee and had a extremely good brief sport. His iron play and placing regarded rusty, however that was to be anticipated after he performed solely 24 aggressive holes earlier than the Masters.

The truth that Tiger set a Masters document along with his twenty fourth consecutive lower is fairly outstanding.