The coveted green jacket, a trophy unlike any other, where golfers and non-golfers alike can recognize the true skill and masterclass that is required to be fitted for one. From the perfectly cut fairways to the blooming azaleas, Augusta National Golf Club is a haven for golf fanatics and a true test for professionals. With the tournament’s April setting, the Masters takes on the role of the first major for each respective year, where big money and big honors are being played for. This spring showcase also allows for many storylines to become apparent before and after the tournament, with many trying to fill the last available spots. From the Butler Cabin to the 1st tee, the 2024 Masters Tournament had many stories to tell.
Leading up to the start of April, the remaining spots were dwindling, where golfers outside of the “World Top 50” and 2024 PGA Tour winners were fighting for their right to tee it up in Augusta. The last opportunity for a green envelope was in San Antonio, Texas, in the Valero Texas Open. With a stunning fight from Denny McCarthy, who shot an eight-under-par twenty-eight on the back nine, Akshay Bhatia would win in a playoff to receive his green envelope one day before “Masters Week”. With a quick turnaround, Akshay made it to Georgia and fought hard against the Augusta winds to finish thirty-fifth with a four-day score of six-over par for his first Masters finish.
One man who also was not guaranteed to play last week was none other than five-time champion, Tiger Woods, who is still recovering from his brutal car crash in 2021. Tiger has been having a tough time walking the stretch of courses with his back in the shape it is in. He struggles to finish rounds and usually ends up withdrawing before the closing holes. Tiger’s last start resulted in a withdrawal due to “stomach issues” at the Genesis Open, which Tiger helps run. Along with this, Tiger decided to split from Nike in order to start his own clothing brand “Sun Day Red”, which was released in late May. No matter how Tiger played, it was going to be a different sight. In a late tee-time on Thursday, Tiger would go on to finish day one at one-under par with five holes to finish up before his round on Friday. This was going to make or break Tiger, with him having to complete twenty-three holes in one day. Tiger showed off his grit, however, pulling through to finish one-over par and making the cut for the weekend. This was history, as Tiger became the only person to make the weekend at Augusta twenty-four straight times. Being one of the few records Tiger did not have, he appreciated the feat but focused on bringing home his sixth green jacket, saying, “If everything comes together, I can win one more,” as reported by USA Today. As the weekend hit, the Augusta wins struck Tiger hard as he plummeted to dead last and finished sixteen-over par.
Through all of these headlines, one man still stayed tall, Scottie Scheffler. The 2022 Masters Champion has had a killer of a spring, bringing home three victories in the last four starts. Over the offseason, Scottie focused on his putting greatly, as it was a limiter to his scores. Scottie led the “strokes-gained” statistic for all shots except for on the greens, where he ranked 134th on the tour, per NBC Sports. This work with the flat-stick panned out as he would become unstoppable over February and March.
As Scottie entered Augusta, people knew he would dominate, as he held the best odds to win over 2023 champion Jon Rahm, per ESPN Bet. The only thing stopping Scottie was the birth of his child, who was due any day now, where Scottie said he would withdraw to make it there if his wife went into labor. With a late start on Thursday, the winds were picking up and scores were skyrocketing, but Scottie shot a bogey-free sixty-six to sit in second. Being one shot back, Scottie played it safe on the tough Friday afternoon, where he shot an even-par seventy-two to sit at the top for a second straight day. With the tough weekend conditions, a lot of players were dropping and Scottie had control of Augusta, which meant it was game over for the competition.
Going into the final round, Scottie had a lead, which was nothing new to him. With his 200+ victories from junior golf to now, he has been in this situation many times. Scottie stayed clear for the whole round but broke out on the eighth hole to take three straight birdies as he made his turn onto the back nine. With impressive birdies on fourteen and sixteen, Scottie had secured his second Masters victory by four strokes. The World #1 had done it again, winning another major in dominant fashion. As it is just the start of the 2024 season, it is scary to think that someone already has four victories on the year. With a bright future ahead, Scottie will continue to hit darts and bomb drives. If he keeps it up, Scottie might have another victorious parade down Magnolia Lane.
