Scottie Scheffler joined the exclusive club of Masters champions when he shot a 1-under 71 on Sunday at Augusta National to finish the tournament at -10, three shots ahead of Rory McIlroy. It was the fourth victory in six starts for Scheffler in 2022.
Before Scheffler was the best golfer in the world and a Masters champion at the age of 25, he was one of the best amateur golfers in the country at the University of Texas. He finished tied for third at the 2017 NCAA golf championships after entering the final round with the lead.
After an uneasy start to the final round on the back nine, he settled down with four consecutive pars. He then found his ball on the fringe of the green on the par-3 16th hole, where the flag stick tossed back and forth due to intense wind. His long, uphill birdie putt settled within about four feet of the pin, setting up a par putt.
On the par-4 17th, which ran 490 yards, he crushed a drive that found the fairway, then took an iron from 122 yards out and cleared a water hazard to find the green. He two-putted for par.
When asked what an individual NCAA championship would mean to him prior to the 2017 NCAA golf championships, Scheffler said, "It would mean a lot to me but more importantly, I need to try and shoot a low number for my team, just because winning the individual championship would be great but it would certainly be a burden — not a burden — but it certainly wouldn't feel as good if we weren't moving on to the next day."
Scheffler finished the tournament with a 6-under score of 282, good for third place.
