AUGUSTA — Scottie Scheffler is looking to add his name to an elite list this week at the Masters Tournament.
Only eight players have won the tournament at least three times in its 90-year history, including iconic names such as Jack Nicklaus (six), Tiger Woods (five) and Arnold Palmer (four). Scheffler already has two under his belt in alternating years, 2022 and 2024, and has a history of success in Augusta.
In his six Masters starts, he’s never missed the cut and finished within the top-20 each time. The lowest he’s ever ended the week was during his debut in 2020, when he finished tied for 19th at 6-under. The following year, he improved by one spot to a tie for 18th.
Since then, he’s finished in the top-10 for the last four years.
Safe to say, Augusta National has been a friend to the 29-year-old.
Even after so many solid years, he said he still had to adjust to the course each time around, especially on the ever-changing greens.
“Augusta always kind of makes a few changes here and there, and they don’t really tell us what they’re doing, they just kind of do it,” Scheffler said. “So, there’s always little stuff you’re trying to figure out. A lot of that’s green speeds. Depending on firmness as well, a lot of the strategy can change as the greens start to change. So, when you look at a year that’s very soft and wet, the strategy going into a lot of greens changes.
“You’re going to have a lot longer clubs in. And when it gets firm and fast, you’re going to have some shorter clubs in, but it’s going to be firmer, so you’ve got to kind of manage your way around. Each one has its own challenges, and so I think a lot of that is just getting prepared for how you think the golf course is going to play because, even when you go out there on Wednesday, it’s going to be different when we show up on Thursday.”
With the weather steadily warming up throughout the week, he said he’s expecting those greens to only get more challenging.