WiretoWire: Revisting a magical Masters week

SCHEFFLER WINS MASTERS FOR FOURTH TOUR TITLE IN SIX STARTS Scottie Scheffler is currently the world’s best golfer, statistically and aesthetically, and a Green Jacket is now part of his all-world 2022 memorabilia collection. The New Jersey native took a five-stroke lead into the weekend at the 86th Masters Tournament, held steady in Saturday’s cold, windy conditions, and kept the pedal down in Sunday’s final round at Augusta National Golf Club. Scheffler, 25, finished with a 10-under total and three-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy, who matched the Masters final-round record with an 8-under 64, punctuated by a bunker hole-out birdie at the 72nd hole. Scheffler wasn’t fazed by McIlroy’s historic charge from five groups ahead, nor has he been fazed by much in the last two months. A selection of Scheffler superlatives: He becomes the first player since Jason Day in 2015 to earn four TOUR wins in six starts. He wins in his first start as world No. 1. With his first four TOUR wins occurring in a 57-day span, he even nudges Bobby Locke (1947, 59 days) for shortest span between first and fourth wins. Scheffler increases his lead in the season-long FedExCup standings, 600 points accrued, as well. After assuming the No. 1 spot on the Official World Golf Ranking with his win at last month’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Scheffler said he “never really got that far in my dreams.” His dream season continues. TIGER WOODS ‘THANKFUL’ TO COMPETE AT MASTERS By golf terms, it wasn’t the result he wanted. In the big picture, it was a success. The record will show that Tiger Woods finished at 13-over 301 at the Masters, his highest 72-hole total at this event by eight shots. It also is the second-highest 72-hole total of his career. Score was secondary this week, though. Woods made the cut and was able to get through four rounds on the extremely hilly Augusta National Golf Club, just 14 months after a single-car accident nearly cost him his right leg. “I think it needs a couple more days to heal after this,” Woods said. “But we’ll get back after it, and we’ll get into it.” Next up? It will be up for plenty of debate, but Woods did say he plans to play The Open at St. Andrews in July. The only question will be what event, or events, he will play leading up to that major. STARS HIGHLIGHT HARBOUR TOWN Cameron Smith leads a stout field for the RBC Heritage, which includes five of the top 10 players in the world. Smith won THE PLAYERS Championship in March and was in Sunday’s final group at the Masters before finishing T3. Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa are all set to make the short trip from Augusta along with Jordan Spieth, who heads to Harbour Town off a missed cut at the Masters. Stewart Cink returns to defend his 2021 triumph. Cink, 48, is looking to become the first person to defend his title in Hilton Head since Boo Weekley in 2007-08. South Carolina residents in the field include Aiken’s Kevin Kisner, North Augusta’s Matthew NeSmith, Columbia’s Wesley Bryan and Greenville’s Lucas Glover. Including Cink, each of the last nine winners at the RBC Heritage is set to tee it up. The 2023 Ryder Cup captains, Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson, will be in the field. Morgan Hoffmann, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, returns to the TOUR for the first time since 2019 with three starts left on his Major Medical Extension. The Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus design will play as a 7,121-yard par 71 and has hosted the RBC Heritage since the 1960s. The winner receives 500 FedExCup points plus a new jacket to add to the wardrobe. VIDEO OF THE WEEK MIC CHECK “That’s as happy as I’ve ever been on a golf course right there.” – Rory McIlroy after carding a final-round, 8-under 64 to record a career-best finish at the Masters (solo second) BY THE NUMBERS 22 – Consecutive Masters cuts made by Tiger Woods. 24 – Holes-in-one at the 16th hole after Stewart Cink made another in Round 2 with an 8-iron from 166 yards. 100 – Rounds by Sungjae Im of 67 or better on TOUR (Round 1 of the Masters). He joins Justin Thomas and Webb Simpson as players with 100 or more rounds of 67 or better since 2018. COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10 The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.

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