Monday, April 15, 2024

Weekend Wrap - The Scott/Scottie Two-Step Edition

Well, that wasn't the back nine I was expecting.... Shack sets it up here:

The 2024 Masters somehow went zooming for Amen Corner with four thoroughbreds rounding the turn enjoying legit shots at winning. Sixty minutes later attendants up the hill were zipping shut all
but Butler Cabin’s Scottie Scheffler size 44 Green Jacket and sending the rest back into cold storage.

The ingredients for a classic back nine shootout were quickly extinguished by the kerplunk of 11th green pond water and Scheffler’s knack for shrugging off the silly setbacks that come with playing a super-crispy, tiny-fine-line Augusta National. And while there were lingering memories of Scheffler’s four-putt to cap off his 2022 win as a reason to keep watching until the end, most patrons and their overdressed garden gnomes were on the way off property once Scheffler struck a 14th hole approach within inches as the competition wilted on an 86-degree day.

“I tried not to let my emotions get the best of me this time,” Scheffler said after posting a final day 68 and an 11-under par total for a four-stroke win over first-time major championship participant Ludvig Aberg. “I kept my head down. I don't think I even took my hat off and waved to the crowd walking up 18. I did my best to stay in the moment, and I wanted to finish off the tournament in the right way. And I got to soak it in there after 1-putting instead of 4-putting, which was a little bit better.”

Yanno, I hate when a guy repeats, because it takes all the drama out of finding a jacket that fits... 

I was texting with an extended family member most of the week, and his wrap-up text spoke of the contenders "throwing up on themselves", which I think is a bit harsh (OK, maybe fair for Morikawa).  I think Geoff is closer to the issue, which is that Aberg and Homa's demise was caused by modest mistakes that were severely punished by the the firm conditions and severe contours of the golf course.  

Geoff does a relatively deep dive on Ludvig's miss, which I like mostly because I mangled to Hogan quote yesterday:

After an optimal 305-yard drive down the left side of the 11th, Aberg’s 216-yard approach started
at the center of the green, drew too hard, and ricocheted off the pond bank.

“I've been playing that same shot all week where I basically aim just right of the right edge of the green and try to draw it in there,” said the 24-year-old. “It came out a little bit too far left and the wind caught it and hit it in the water. It was probably one of the few swings this week where I really put it in a bad spot where I knew I couldn't miss left and I missed it left.

“But overall, I think a lot of the other things I did this week kind of oversees that one shot I think.”

I wouldn't worry on that score, Ludvig, you made millions of fans this week.  Not only did you play out of your gourd, but your preternatural calm and bemusement at the setback made quite the impression on this observer.

But I promised that Hogan payoff:

Not to be that guy—particularly since the classy-sweet-swinging-happy-go-lucky-uber-talented-kid-loving-gem-of-fellow Aberg appears to be a gift the spoiled pro game doesn’t deserve in the jackwagon era—but there is a reason Ben Hogan’s adage holds.

“If you ever see me on the 11th green in two, you’ll know I missed my second shot.”

Your humble bloggers has long worried about fans affecting play, though admittedly said concern relates more to legalized gambling than this kind of incident:

Yeah, that's the ticket:

They have a million rules at Augusta National, but apparently the five-second rules isn't one of them....

Shall we get to the winner?  

Scottie In Full -  I'm ranking this as a so-so Masters.  It felt to me that the course had its customary bite (Morikawa, Aberg and Max might agree), but was stingier with the birdies and (especially the) eagles, leaving the viewer pining for Augusta roars.  The only one of those I can recall from yesterday was from Scottie almost canning it on No. 9...

But redeeming the week is Scottie being such a worthy champion, and the inspired play from the runner-up, and anticipation of his career arc.  Let's sample some reactions, beginning with the Tour Confidential gang:

1. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the Masters, picking up his second green jacket and, in the process, his third win in his last four starts. Have we officially entered the Scottie Scheffler era in pro golf? And, if so, just how dominant can his run be?

Josh Sens: It was kinda seeming like the Scheffler era before the tournament even began, as he was pretty much winning or contending in every event he entered. The odds on him as a favorite
coming into the Masters further underscored that point. They weren’t exactly what they were for Tiger Woods at his peak, but they were close. And rightly so, because we haven’t seen this kind of dominance since Tiger. How long can he maintain it? He’s going to win plenty more. But he’s also about to become a dad for the first time. We’ve seen it before. Things can change when golfers start changing diapers. Let’s talk after the PGA Championship in May, when he’s a few weeks into sleep-deprived fatherhood.

Jessica Marksbury: Good point, Josh. It sure feels like the Scheffler era — and it’s much-deserved. His all-around game is so good, so steady, it’s hard to find a reason to see an end in sight. As far as a potential change in priorities when his child arrives, well, he already seems pretty tuned in to what’s most important in life. Maybe that’s his real superpower. But as Josh said, time will tell on that front.

Zephyr Melton: It’s Scottie’s world and we’re living in it. If he keeps putting like he has over the last six weeks, we could be in for a run like Rory in 2014, Spieth in 2015 or DJ in 2017. (And maybe even better?) All I know is that Scottie is a cut above everyone else in pro golf right now. We could be in for a historically dominant run.

Nick Dimengo: Scheffler has the mental fortitude to be absolutely dominant for the foreseeable future. It’s tough for me to go to Tiger-level dominance, but when he locks in like he did on Sunday, at this moment, no golfer in the world can match him.

I'm not in love with their use of the "D-word", because that's standard no golfer can meet.  But his ball striking and head are so solid that it seems he'll be somewhere on every leaderboard.

2. What impressed you most about Scheffler’s final round or week?

Sens: How effortless it looked, even when he didn’t have everything dialed in. His distance
control with his irons was a bit off early Sunday, but no matter. His short game picked him up. So it goes with Scheffler. To make another Tiger comparison, he can win with his B game. Or, as a friend observed, astutely: he’s the Nikola Jokic of golf. Doesn’t seem like he’s doing much but then you look up, and he’s got another triple-double. Or, rather, a second green jacket

Marksbury: Not to belabor the Tiger comparisons, but Woods was always lauded for his mental toughness, and the more we see Scheffler compete under pressure, the more impressed I am with his ability to remain unruffled, at least on the outside. It’s easy to forget that this thing was tied with the back nine looming. But Scheffler’s talent and patience and poise outpaced his competitors by a wide margin.

Melton: His decision-making. As Sens noted, it didn’t look like Scottie has his A-game, and he still destroyed the field. He did that by keeping himself out of trouble and knowing where to miss. Scottie is not only one of the most talented golfers, he’s one of the smartest, too.

Dimengo: His focus! Sure, my colleagues pointed out other traits that he did better than anyone else, but we saw ANGC chew up and spit out the best players in the world – yet Scottie was unfazed by it all. Add in the uncertainty of his wife potentially going into labor, and, sheesh, this guy’s mental strength is on steroids!

Sorry Josh, but this never looked effortless....  But the Tiger comparison is apt, because he was scraping it around early in the day and was patient enough to allow himself time to settle in.  

I might suggest that his faith plays a role in that, though that will make heads explode in some quarters, but it doesn't hurt that golf isn't the most important thing in his life.

A couple of other notes about the winner, including this interesting peak behind the curtains:

The Masters finished with a shocking twist: Everyone left happy except the winner

Pretty sure that Justin Thomas didn't leave happy, but still...

This is actually the quote that caught my eye:

IN A STRANGE TWIST befitting this strange game, the guy who sounded the least satisfied as he wrapped up at Augusta National might have been Scheffler himself. He’d played so well and won by such a wide margin that his competitors figured there was nothing they could have done; that was part of the reason for their collective good cheer. But as he sat in front of the assembled media for his winner’s press conference, the dominant World No. 1 was asked about satisfaction and admitted he hasn’t yet achieved it.

“I feel like playing professional golf is an endlessly not-satisfying career,” he said. “For instance, in my head, all I can think about right now is getting home. I’m not thinking about the tournament. I’m not thinking about the green jacket. I’m trying to answer your questions and I’m trying to get home.

“I wish — I wish I could soak this in a little bit more. Maybe I will tonight when I get home. But at the end of the day, I think that’s what the human heart does. You always want more, and I think you have to fight those things and focus on what’s good.”

That middle bit is just so damn true... He's got an elevated reason for wanting to get home, but it's a nice bit of self-awareness, because the game eats us all up.

The other bit relates to his looper, paying off my header:

Two years ago, when Scheffler won his first Masters, he made the special trek from the 18th green to the scoring area with Meredith. It’s often a victory walk reserved for players and a loved
one — Tiger Woods made the walk with his son, Charlie, in 2019 — as they split a sea of cheering patrons en route to just the first of many post-round obligations (and celebrations).

But with Meredith back home, Scheffler wasn’t about to go it alone. After handing out a few hugs, he stopped and waited. Then he looked back behind him.

“Hey, Teddy!” he yelled.

Teddy is Ted Scott, Scheffler’s trusty caddie who was also on his bag for his 2022 Masters win. Scott isn’t new to these celebrations, either. Besides winning with Scheffler two years ago, he won two Masters titles with Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014.

Scott was still hugging family members when he caught up with Scheffler, who wanted Scott to make the walk with him.

Ted is now himself a legend, at least at Augusta National:

Scott, with the No. 18 flag stick attached to his left shoulder, elevated himself into Augusta lore on Sunday, becoming the fifth caddie to earn four-plus jackets.

The serene looper from Lafayette pulled even with Nathaniel “Iron Man” Avery (four with Arnold Palmer) and Stevie Williams (three with Tiger Woods, one with Adam Scott).

Only Willie Peterson (five with Jack Nicklaus) and Pappy Stokes (five with four players) have more.

Those early holes were tough, so I do like scenes such as this:

Speaking outside the scorer’s building, Scott praised his player, saying, “He overcame my bad caddying. On the first four holes, I couldn’t get him on the green.”

When Scheffler hit the fifth green in regulation, Jonathan Jakovac — Collin Morikawa’s caddie — turned to Ted and said, “Good job, man. You finally got him on the green.”

“Thanks, man,” Scott replied.

Yanno, I took some pleasure in it being a mostly a*****e-free leaderboard, which exchanges like this confirm.   I would have been perfectly happy to have any of those four guys in the last two groups win.

On Tiger - To this observer, Tiger had a Dickensian week, encompassing both the best of  and worst of times.  He provided some feel-good moments, but it's a bit difficult to sweep the ugliness of the weekend golf under the rug, no?

So, what did folks think, beginning at the usual place:

6. Tiger Woods set the record for most consecutive cuts made at a Masters (24) but finished last among the players to make the cut. How would you sum up Tiger’s week? And would you expect better or worse from him in the final three majors of the year?

Sens: I thought it was pretty impressive that he got through to the weekend, with his bum leg on
such a hilly course in that blustery weather. He was willing himself around Augusta. It seemed like it was going to be just a matter of time before the conditions and the course caught up to him. And so it was. Woods obviously isn’t just going out there trying to make cuts. But I think that would count as a kind of victory in the rest of the year’s majors, with the Open Championship being his best chance to actually contend, though I wouldn’t bet on that either.

Marksbury: Tiger Woods has always been the king of clutch moments, and, as a golf history buff, I have to believe he knew exactly what he was playing for in Rounds 1 and 2, and he played some seriously good golf to do it. Once he owned the consecutive-cuts record outright, though, maybe actually contending was just too much to bear. Given what he’s been through physically, I think finishing 72 holes is a win in itself. And I think he could still surprise us on a track that’s easier to walk.

Melton: I was impressed he made the cut, but his body just isn’t in a place where he can be competitive for 72 holes. Funny as it sounds, I expect him to have a solid week at this summer’s U.S. Open. Pinehurst No. 2 is a relatively flat course, and there’s no rough to speak of. The greens are Augusta-esque in that they require so much imagination to navigate, and I think that’ll play right into his hand. I could see him having a good week in the sand hills this summer.

Dimengo: Kudos to Tiger for even sticking it out after his dreadful Saturday. The fact that a buddy asked me if I thought he’d withdraw seems comical now – because I don’t think Woods would ever do that at Augusta, given its history and his understanding of it – but it probably crossed other fans’ minds. That said, this is his favorite major, and this is the course he knows better than anyone else, so it’s hard for me to expect too much more from him in the other 3 majors. But tournaments are more interesting when he makes the cut, so just give me that and I’ll be happy.

I share the respect for his Thursday-Friday grind, especially given the extra holes he had to play in the Friday winds.   he drove the ball beautifully and, while his iron play wasn't perfect, his short game filled in the voids nicely.

The sad reality is that he doesn't seem to have 72-holes in him.  I know this is a more arduous walk than many, but 82-77 is hard to rebut.

Tiger himself seems to have adjusted his personal standards:

The 88th Masters was Woods’ 26th. He finished in 60th place, last among those who made the weekend. In terms of competitive relevance, physical power, intimidatory aura and leaderboard
position, he was as far from the player he once was as it seems possible to get. And yet the man who famously said “second sucks, and third is even worse” was able to find small successes on that bottom rung.

“It was a good week. It was a good week all around,” he said. “I think that coming in here, not having played a full tournament in a very long time, it was a good fight on Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, yesterday it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted it to.”

It was a good fight, but reality is a harsh mistress.

Good on him for making this guy's day/life:

“Playing with Tiger, Sunday at the Masters, the whole week, I think I have to win one of these
things to kind of top this week,” Shipley said after a final-round 1-over 73 to finish at 12 over for the week.

“Today being out there with Tiger, we were chatting. We talked a lot about just golf, Charlie and just normal things. He’s such a normal guy and really cool. He was great to me all day. Couldn’t be more appreciative of him just being awesome today, and it was just really cool to be around him and just the attention he gets and the roars. The crowds were phenomenal.”

Obviously the Tiger dead-enders want to discuss his chances in the coming majors, and color me skeptical on that score.  In fact, one texted me about his good vibes at Valhalla, which is great until your realize it was twenty-four years ago....

The one positive is that the next two majors should feature hot and steamy weather (I don't actually know how hot Louisville is in May, but has to be better than Rochester), which should be to his liking.  Pinehurst, where Tiger does have a 2nd place finish as well, is an easier walk....

All of that said, I do want to lay down a marker.  The Masters is different than the others, because if a former champion bows out he's not replaced in the field.  But that doesn't apply for the other three majors, in which he'll be inevitably taking a spot from another player.  I know he's Tiger Woods and he's earned some latitude here, but it's always a matter of where the line should be drawn.  To be clear, he's still working off exemptions from the 2019 Masters, so all is good for now.

But it's one thing to be an elderly former champion in the field, it's quite another to be an elderly champion incapable of walking 72 holes.  He walked the 72 holes at Augusta which is an accomplishment, and he does seem to be walking a little better after last year's ankle surgery.  But, at a certain point, if he's shooting in the 80's on the weekend, is it fair for him to take up a spot?  Just something to keep an eye on....

What else caught my eye this weekend?

JT In Remission - Geez, that push to get on the Ryder Cup team doesn't seem to have survived into 2024.  It would be hard to identify a finish worse than that on Friday:

With four holes remaining in his second round on Friday, Thomas sat at even par for the tournament, well within the cutline that was projected to fall at five over par. Datagolf.com reportedly calculated his odds of making the cut at the time at 99.9 percent.

So, you're saying there's a chance?

But then Thomas closed with an improbable collapse. On the par-5 15th, Thomas made a double-bogey 7 after pulling his drive and hitting his second shot into the water. On the par-3 16th came another double when he hit into a greenside bunker, left his second shot 44 feet from the hole and three-putted. On the par-4 17th, he lipped out a six-footer for par after pushing his drive and hitting his approach over the green. Then on the par-4 18th, a pulled drive led to a punch out to the fairway and one more double bogey. Thomas signed for a seven-over 79 that not only left him outside the cut, but also helped move the cutline from five over to six over par, and allowing 11 more players to advance to the weekend.

Hey, I'm just glad that Bones didn't have to see it....

Except, that he would have seen this one:

Thomas’ stumble was an ominous bit of déjà vu; a year ago in the second round of the Masters, the two-time major winner played his last eight holes in six over to also miss the cut by one. In the process, be helped move the cutline from two over to three over, allowing good friend Tiger Woods to extend his consecutive made-cuts streak to 23 and match the tournament record held by Fred Couples and Gary Player. (Tiger broke that record on Friday when he made his 24th straight cut).

Meanwhile, this is the fourth time in his last five major starts that Thomas, who recent parted ways with caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay, has failed to make the weekend.

he and his good friend Jordan are in a world of hurt, and it seems that we might see a Prez Cup without either of these stalwarts.

Sharp Dressed Man - Cue up your ZZ Top for the funniest bit of the week, wherein Jason Day sartorially beclowns himself.  First, he shows up Thursday in Tim Herron's pants.  there was a moment where the wind was whipping his pants such that he was unable to putt, though I'm unable to find that video right now.

This doesn't quite capture how baggy they were, but it's the best I can find on short notice:

As you would expect, social media had thoughts:

And this:

But wait, there's more, because this is how he showed up for his second round:


Apparently his rental house doesn't have mirrors.... It's pretty funny, but can you imagine if he had done that before Clifford Roberts died?

This Q&A has me doing spit takes:

Q. Have you heard any—is it OK with the green jackets, the designs and the things that you've been wearing? They can be a little bit restrictive.

JASON DAY: Are you talking about like Augusta in general? Yeah, they asked me to take it off—the vest off yesterday.

Q. The busy one?

JASON DAY: Yeah, the busy one. Respectfully, you do that because it's all about the tournament here, and I understand that. I respect the tournament. That's what we're here to do is try and play and win the green jacket.

Q. Did they explain to you why they'd like you to take it off? The logo is too big?

JASON DAY: I don't know. I didn't ask. They said, can you take it off? I said, yeah, no worries.

Q. What were you trying to do?

JASON DAY: I wasn't trying to do anything. They just scripted me in it, and I was wearing it.

Q. That's what happens, you're given your outfits by your sponsors?

JASON DAY: Yeah, they send you the scripting and say, this is what we want you to wear Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and I'm like, okay.

Q. If they asked you to remove it, it came from who?

JASON DAY: It came from Augusta National.

Q. Like a green jacket?

JASON DAY: I don't know if it was a green jacket. I don't know who it was. They asked, and I respectfully took it off.

I had actually seen that scripting before the tournament started, and that vest was an obvious issue...

I get that he has respect for the club, but if Malbon ships you that vest and you say OK, then you have no respect for yourself....

Exit Strategy - Gotta get going, but just a few more bits to mull over, first this from the TC panel:

7. Ten years from now, what will you remember most about the 2024 Masters?

Sens: The crazy winds, the difficulty of the conditions and Tiger shooting 82.

Marksbury: The wind, for sure!

Melton: The crispy conditions and Scottie’s dominance.

Dimengo: How mortal ANGC made the best players look. From the wind to the mishits to the higher-than-normal scores, the event was wild from start to finish.

I don't think this Masters created memories that will have that kind of shelf life, but I certainly had never seen sand whipping out of bunkers like we did on Friday.  That image of Tiger trying to putt out on No. 18 with sand blasting his face was a first for this observer.  

This is food for thought later this week, methinks:

5. With golf’s PGA Tour vs. LIV divide, much has been said and written about this week’s field being the best we’ve seen in months. Did this week feel any more meaningful given the fracture in the game?

Sens: I dunno. The Masters always feels meaningful. I’m not sure the tournament itself felt significantly different. But like the other majors, it does remind us of what the pro game has lost the rest of the year.

Marksbury: Absolutely! The best players all in one place. That’s the meaning we’ve been missing, and we appreciate more and more as it’s become more rare.

Melton: Maybe not more meaningful, but it did remind me how much having a fractured pro game sucks. It’s a shame we only get to watch guys like Bryson, Reed and Phil play against the world’s best with something meaningful on the line four times a year.

Dimengo: Totally! But I couldn’t agree with Zephyr more: Only getting to see the best players compete against one another four times a year just isn’t fair. Get this thing figured out, fellas, because golf fans deserve better drama no matter what event it is!

OK, but to me the accompanying message is that it matters where the best players play.  And no place is more important than Augusta....

I haven't touched on the tough week for the LIVstrers or Greg Norman's silly appearance, so that'll be fodder for this week's follow-up posts.  For now, I'll just note that early TV ratings seem good:

Judging by the early ratings from Augusta National, there would appear to a notable appetite for reconciliation. ESPN reported that its Thursday’s broadcast of the Masters earned the highest opening-round ratings since 2015. According to the network, the broadcast averaged 3.2 million viewers during its 3 p.m. to 8:06 p.m. ET coverage window (extended through to sunset and the stoppage of play after the round was delayed 2½ hours at the start), up 28 percent from 2023. The peak audience was 3.8 million. By comparison, last year’s first round averaged 2.5 million.

A day later, ESPN reported that Friday's second-round average was 3.6 million, up 69 percent from 2023. The audience peaked at 3.9 million viewers at around 5:30 p.m., roughly the time Tiger Woods finished Round 2. The combined two-day average of 3.4 million viewers was the best for the Masters since 2018.

Is the appetite for reconciliation, or is it for Augusta?  Obviously the combination is appealing, but don't we think most of those people would have tuned in even without the baker's dozen LIVsters?

Predictions are hard, especially about the future:

4. A bunch of good, young, green-jacket-less players battled atop the leaderboard on Sunday. Which one is most likely to win a Masters next, and why?

Sens: Ludvig Aberg. The power game. The poise. The putting. He’s obviously got all the shots to handle Augusta. And by all appearances, he has the mindset for it, too. Sure, there was that one
big miss on his approach on the 11th. But sheesh, it was his first major and he beat everyone but the best player in the world.

Marksbury: For sure, Josh. I don’t want to double up on Aberg, so I’ll go with Homa. He’s raised his game in a big way over the last couple of years, and finally broke through to contend at Augusta, where his previous best finish was T43. I also really liked his Zen state of mind this week. To paraphrase, he basically said, I can only be as good as I am. And that’s enough for me. Love that! I have to believe he’ll get his major eventually — and maybe it will be a Masters.

Melton: There’s only one correct answer here, and it’s Ludvig Aberg. Not only was this his first Masters, this was his first major! And he finished second, only being bested by the best player in the world. Ludvig has already won on both the PGA and European Tours, and now he’s proven his game holds up in majors, too. He looks to be golf’s next superstar, and it’s hard to imagine a future in which he doesn’t win a green jacket.

Dimengo: For the sake of diversity, I’m going Cam Young. I know, he finished T9 and didn’t really make a run at this Masters, but this dude is so good that he seems to be learning the ropes before getting his own major title. Now, he just needs to learn how to put four straight days together to make it happen.

I agree that Cam Young seems to be regaining his footing, but there isn't much bandwidth for anyone but the young Swede right now.  There's a reason I led this post with him, though it's still golf, which means we'll inevitably expect too much too soon from him.

Hope you enjoyed your Masters weekend and we'll have more thoughts as the week progresses.

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