AUGUSTA, Ga. — As he makes an attempt to turn out to be the primary participant to win back-to-back Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002 and the one golfer to win three inexperienced jackets in 4 years aside from Jack Nicklaus (’63, ’65 ’66), world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is as assured within the state of his sport as he has been this season.
“I really feel very ready for this golf match,” Scheffler mentioned. “That is undoubtedly probably the most ready that I’ve felt all yr.”
After successful eight instances on tour in 2024, together with the Masters, there was a lot anticipation for Scheffler’s encore season this yr. However after injuring his hand with a wine glass whereas making selfmade ravioli at Christmas and needing surgical procedure, Scheffler was unable to play at The Sentry in Hawaii or The American Categorical in Palm Springs — two of his typical tour stops.
Scheffler returned to play on the Pebble Seaside Professional-Am the place he completed in a tie for ninth despite the fact that he didn’t really feel his sport was in kind but.
“I talked loads about my preparation and stepping up on the tee at Pebble feeling like I wasn’t precisely the place I used to be once I ended the yr simply because I had taken a lot break day,” Scheffler mentioned. “This yr coming off an harm was undoubtedly a unique feeling than I’ve had in the previous few years.”
Since Pebble, Scheffler has made 5 extra begins and, although he hasn’t received but (final yr he had two wins heading into the Masters), he has not completed worse than twenty fifth and has had two different top-10 finishes. His most up-to-date look got here on the Houston Open two weeks in the past when he completed one shot behind the winner, Min Woo Lee, and seemed to lastly be reaching the shape that he channeled all of final yr.
“I have not had the begins that I’d have hoped to start out the yr,” Scheffler mentioned. “I’ve had some good begins, however I have not had any actually nice ones but.”
It is becoming and well timed that Scheffler mentioned he is extra ready than ever heading into Augusta, which has turn out to be his consolation zone ever since he turned professional. In 5 begins, he has by no means completed outdoors the highest 20 on the Masters and this week, he’s the clear favourite.
“Final yr means nothing,” Scheffler mentioned. “As an instance I get off to a nasty begin on Thursday, and I can use some stuff that I’ve executed right here the previous few years as confidence to sort of flip issues round. However on the finish of the day, once I step on there on Thursday, we’re at even par, and it is a completely new golf match.”
Scheffler will not be successful on the identical clip as he was final yr, however he’s slowly creeping again as much as his elite ballstriking kind. The 2-time main winner is at present third in complete strokes gained (+2.55), in response to Knowledge Golf, which is about half a shot fewer than final season (+3.08) when he topped the game with that mark by a large margin. Maybe extra importantly, his placing at Houston forty second within the discipline, up 44 spots from his placing efficiency on the Gamers Championship.
“I lean extra on my really feel than the outcomes a whole lot of the time,” Scheffler mentioned. “I feel typically you may really feel once you’re actually shut and you’ll really feel once you’re fairly far off, and a whole lot of instances it would not precisely align with the scores.”
To Scheffler’s level, after a 62 within the second spherical of the Houston Open, he mentioned he felt he could not have shot any decrease and wanted to work on his sport. Then, after capturing simply 1-under the next spherical, he felt like his sport was in a a lot better place.
“Golf might be humorous like that,” Scheffler mentioned.
This week, nevertheless, there isn’t any doubt what would represent a profitable week for Scheffler. A win, in his case, would even be historic.
