Scottie Scheffler wins 2022 Masters, first major title, in dominating fashion

AUGUSTA, Ga. — He just never gave anyone else a chance.

Scottie Scheffler continued his marvelous run of golf on Sunday at Augusta National, making key par saves when he needed to, chipping in for birdie when he wasn’t expected to and keeping one sleeve in that coveted green jacket all round long.

Scheffler, who opened the day with a three-stroke lead over Australian Cameron Smith, closed with a one-under 71 to win the 86th Masters and claim his first major title. He finished 10 under overall, three clear of Rory McIlroy, who shot up the leaderboard by tying a final-round record with 64.

Sunday at the Masters was a final pairing that featured two of the game’s hottest players. Scheffler entered with three wins in his last five starts, and the most recent, at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, elevated him to No. 1 in the world.

Meanwhile, Smith, 28, had victories in two of his last four PGA Tour starts and was coming off a win at the Players Championship, the biggest of his career and one that moved him to No. 6 in the world.

It was little surprise neither slowed down at Augusta, as they both chased the first major title of their career. And it was supposed to be two-man race, maybe three, if you thought Sungjae Im, who started the day five back, had a chance.

But then came McIlroy.

The World No. 9 hasn’t won a major since he picked off the Open Championship and PGA Championship back-to-back in 2014 to claim his third and fourth, and he only needs an elusive Masters title to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam.

He started Sunday 10 shots off the lead but made birdies on 1, 3, 7 and 8 to turn in 32. He chipped in for birdie on 10 and added an eagle on the par-5 13th to get to seven under on his round, which not only caught the attention of the final pairing but started chatter of him threatening the Masters course record of 10-under 63. The eagle on 13 got McIlroy to six under overall, one back of Smith and five back of Scheffler, as they played the 9th hole.

McIlroy teed off 50 minutes before the final pairing. When Scheffler and Smith took the tee, at 2:40 p.m. local, it was Smith who had the early advantage.

He made birdies on 1 and 2 to cut Scheffler’s lead to one, but both players got in trouble on the short par-4 3rd hole, and it was a major turning point. Both went well left of the fairway and hit their approaches short of the green, landing in nearly identical spots. But Scheffler chipped his in for an unlikely birdie, and Smith couldn’t get up and down and made bogey. The lead was back to three.

Smith also bogeyed the fourth, and both players made birdie on 7. At the turn, with a treacherous run through Amen Corner awaiting, Scheffler led at 11 under, with Smith at seven under and McIlroy at six under. No one else had a chance.

Scheffler and Smith both ran into trouble on 10 and made bogeys, although Smith’s was more prone to sting — he badly missed a four-footer from above the hole, giving up a chance to gain a stroke back after Scheffler had finished out.

McIlroy, at six under, needed to take advantage of the final par-5, the 15th, to have a good shot at catching Scheffler, but a bad drive forced him to punch out — eliminating any chance of going for it in two — and he missed the green with his approach. He failed to chip in for birdie and settled for a disappointing par, remaining four back.

Smith rebounded with a birdie on 11 and Scheffler rolled in a key par save from seven feet to keep his lead at three as they moved to the short par-3 12th, the same hole that ruined Jordan Spieth’s Masters chances back in 2016.

But this time it was the chaser — Smith — who was derailed by Rae’s Creek.

Smith plunked his tee shot into the water and air-mailed a wedge over the green after his drop. He made triple bogey. Scheffler missed the green well left but rolled in a clutch nine-footer to save par again.

Scheffler stayed at 10 under, four clear of McIlroy and six ahead of Smith.

And then? McIlroy had one last charge. After four straight pars, he went from the fairway bunker to the greenside bunker on the 18th — then holed it for birdie. The patrons — and McIlroy — went ballistic.

McIlroy shot 64, one off tying a tournament record, to set the clubhouse lead at seven under. Scheffler, who had just missed his birdie putt on 13 but saved par, had five holes remaining and a three-shot lead.

Pressure? No, not at all. At least, not until the final green.

Scheffler made birdie on 14 and 15. He two-putted for par on 16 and left just a kick-in for par on 17. When he walked up the fairway on the 72nd hole, leading the biggest golf tournament in the world by nearly half a dozen shots, he fought back tears. His wife, Meredith, let them flow. His only blemish this week? A bizarre four-putt double bogey on the 18th. At that point, it hardly mattered.

It wasn’t supposed to be this easy, his first Masters win in just his third visit to Augusta National. Perhaps it wasn’t. He just made it look that way.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

Josh Berhow is the managing editor at GOLF.com. The Minnesota native graduated with a journalism degree from Minnesota State University in Mankato. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.