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Max Homa did not win the Masters. He left feeling good anyway.
Darren Riehl
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Golf tournaments are sometimes a zero-sum recreation. One man’s bogey is one other man’s treasure. One man’s good bounce is one other man’s misfortune. One man’s victory means one other man’s defeat. The larger the occasion and the upper the stakes, the extra chasmic the hole between successful and dropping. It doesn’t assist that golfers generally is a depressing bunch, tending as they do in direction of perfectionism, cynicism, dissatisfaction.
Besides at the 2024 Masters, the place everyone’s leaving joyful.
THE TITLE OF MASTERS RUNNER-UP tends to come back with a sure melancholy, figuring out the heartbreaking proximity of what may have been. However on Sunday that spot belonged to Ludvig Aberg, the 24-year-old Swedish stud who gave away his likelihood on the win with a double bogey at 11 however battled again fiercely, taking part in the ultimate six holes in two below par for a final-round three-under 69. He completed 4 photographs behind the winner and three photographs away from everyone else. As he got here off the 18th inexperienced he was greeted by household and pals like a conquering hero, and with good motive: This was the primary main of his profession.
It’s troublesome to overstate the gravity of Aberg’s exhibiting so I gained’t hassle. I’ll let him understate it as an alternative; that’s extra his type.
“It reveals we’re doing loads of great things, and clearly ending effectively within the Masters is a dream come true,” he mentioned. “Simply taking part in right here has been such a privilege, and I’m tremendous pleased with myself and the staff and all of the work that we’re doing.”
Aberg performed within the penultimate pairing alongside Max Homa and when Aberg faltered with seven holes to play, Homa gave the impression to be the one remaining challenger for Scottie Scheffler. However his tee shot to the ticklish twelfth landed simply lengthy, took a brutal bounce into the ivy and led to an premature double bogey.
His hopes of successful the event had been undone however he steadied the ship on the way in which house and completed at 4 below par and a share of third. Homa has been emotional after near-misses prior to now however not this time; he emerged from scoring and burst out laughing as his spouse Lacey appeared holding their one-year-old son, Cam, who wouldn’t be denied till he’d grabbed maintain of one among his father’s wedges.
“It’s bittersweet, I assume,” Homa mentioned a couple of minutes later, taking a protracted pause as his tried to sum up his week. “As a result of I really feel completed — however I really feel prefer it doesn’t actually imply something within the grand scheme of issues. However I simply really feel like I discovered. I really feel like I took an enormous leap.”
Lately Homa has established himself among the many greatest golfers on this planet however one large factor has been lacking: rivalry on the majors. This week he dealt with the strain of taking part in alongside Tiger Woods within the first two rounds and the strain of taking part in close to the lead on the weekend. He didn’t win however he didn’t fold, both. That meant progress.
“I truly assume it’d calm me down,” he mentioned, requested about strain at future majors. “I don’t really feel like I must show anything to myself. Clearly I’d like to show I can win, however I do know I can play in these items effectively now.”
IT WOULD BE EASY TO FEEL for the person who performed beside the person who lapped the sector, however the truth that Collin Morikawa performed his manner into the ultimate pairing on Sunday on the Masters marked a major step ahead for a man who entered off a MC-T45-T75 run of play. Morikawa modified coaches and altered his tools and located one thing particular in his recreation. And regardless of double bogeys at No. 9 and No. 11, which killed his likelihood at a win, he bounced again with birdies at 13 and 15 to safe a T3 end.
“This has been a bizarre yr, however I noticed loads of good this week,” he mentioned. “I feel I’m going to make use of this rather a lot on this subsequent little stretch of golf, particularly since majors, all of them come one proper after one other.”
The one different professional who started Sunday’s last spherical inside 5 photographs of the lead was Bryson DeChambeau, who’d by no means recorded a top-20 end on the Masters. He held the first-round lead and pale on the weekend however held onto T6 at two below par alongside fellow LIV golfer Cameron Smith.
“You recognize what, it was a optimistic step in the precise path for me out right here,” he mentioned. “Discovered rather a lot about my recreation and figuring out that I can do it out right here.”
DeChambeau mentioned that he felt one thing particular being in rivalry at Augusta of all locations.
“There was a few moments on the market the place I received the tingles. It’s a bizarre factor to say. It’s like goosebumps, virtually,” he mentioned. “It’s undoubtedly a step in the precise path. I’m upset, however I’m optimistic. My mindset is absolutely optimistic.”
FOR CLARITY’S SAKE, not everyone left joyful. Not the most important champs who missed the cut on a brutal, blustery Friday night. Not the defending champ, who admitted it was robust to have to stay round post-round to current the jacket to another person when he’d by no means actually had an opportunity. And never for Rory McIlroy, the World No. 2 who feels miles from World No. 1.
“I’m shut in some methods, however then I really feel fairly distant in others,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless it was a satisfying week for practically everyone else.
For the Augusta Nationwide membership, it should have been satisfying to re-coronate such a deserving champion. The World No. 1 successful the world’s largest occasion feels effectively earned. He entered the occasion because the world’s greatest golfer and he left little question.
For golf followers it was a satisfying week, too, seeing one of the best gamers on this planet pitted in opposition to one another as soon as once more. They proved their pleasure with huge early-round viewership, too, suggesting that the Masters nonetheless reigns supreme.
Heck, even the man in final place left joyful.
“It was week,” mentioned Tiger Woods. “It was week throughout.”
Woods shot 16 over par for the week, two worse than anyone who made the lower. However he warmed up Sunday morning along with his son Charlie by his facet. And he walked 72 holes at a serious championship for simply the second time since 2020.
“I feel that coming in right here, not having performed a full event in a really very long time, it was struggle on Thursday and Friday,” he mentioned. He additionally implied that he’s gearing up for a full main season. “I’m going to do my homework going ahead at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon, however that’s type of the sport plan.”
And don’t overlook his taking part in associate, Neal Shipley, who leaves Augusta as low am.
“Enjoying with Tiger Sunday on the Masters, the entire week — I feel I’ve to win one among these items to type of prime this week,” he mentioned.
IN A STRANGE TWIST befitting this unusual recreation, the man who sounded the least happy as he wrapped up at Augusta Nationwide may need been Scheffler himself. He’d performed so effectively and gained by such a large margin that his opponents figured there was nothing they may have accomplished; that was a part of the rationale for his or her collective good cheer. However as he sat in entrance of the assembled media for his winner’s press convention, the dominant World No. 1 was requested about satisfaction and admitted he hasn’t but achieved it.
“I really feel like taking part in skilled golf is an endlessly not-satisfying profession,” he mentioned. “As an illustration, in my head, all I can take into consideration proper now’s getting house. I’m not interested by the event. I’m not interested by the inexperienced jacket. I’m making an attempt to reply your questions and I’m making an attempt to get house.
“I want — I want I may soak this in somewhat bit extra. Possibly I’ll tonight after I get house. However on the finish of the day, I feel that’s what the human coronary heart does. You all the time need extra, and I feel it’s important to struggle these issues and give attention to what’s good.”
Golf at any degree is a recreation of pursuit. You may all the time get higher, all the time rating decrease, all the time chase down the following man in entrance of you. There’s satisfaction within the chase and there’s satisfaction in progress. The imperfection isn’t one thing to repair nor to unravel — it’s all the level. Scheffler, who will grow to be a first-time father within the coming weeks, sounded distinctly happy along with his off-course life if unfulfilled along with his on-course accomplishments. Maybe that’s the candy spot for greatness.
“I’ve a protracted approach to go to catch somebody like him,” mentioned Xander Schauffele as he wrapped up a T8 end. “I’ve loads of work on my plate, and that’ll proceed for fairly a while.” He regarded excited as he mentioned it. Golfers prefer to purpose at targets. They usually like after they come near hitting ’em, too.
Regardless of his degree of {golfing} satisfaction, there’s excellent news for Scheffler — and for the fields desirous to chase him down. One other main lurks a month away. Then there’s one other main after that, and one other after that, and extra years and extra majors forward.
They simply gained’t all have such joyful endings.
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