The greatest week of the golf calendar has officially come to an end and Scottie Scheffler has once again claimed golf’s coveted Green Jacket. Masters week is always so special to golf fans around the world and this one was no different. A four-stroke margin of victory may tell a different story, but this was one of the more exciting Masters in recent tournament history. Here are some of my thoughts following the 2024 Masters!
JT & JORDAN
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 12: Jordan Spieth of the United States follows his shot from the fourth tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The best friends need to do some figuring out. Justin Thomas stood on the 15th tee on Friday 6 strokes above the cut line. He would finish double-double-bogey-double to miss the weekend. This is a continuing trend of Thomas being really bad in majors since his victory at the PGA Championship in 2022. In the seven majors since then he’s missed four cuts and his best finish of the cuts made was a T37 at the 2022 U.S. Open. Is it mental? Is it mechanical? Whatever it is, JT needs to figure it out.
As far as Jordan Spieth goes…I just don’t know. Spieth has always been so interesting because of his ability to have a very decorated scorecard. There’s always a lot of birdies on the card, but also a lot of bogeys. But much like Thomas, his major record recently hasn’t been what it once was. Yes, he has finished in the top-5 in two of the last four Masters, but he hasn’t exactly been in contention. In 2021 he started the final round 6 strokes back of eventual champion Hideki Matsuyama, and in 2023 he started 9 strokes back of 54-hole leader Brooks Koepka. He hasn’t truly been in contention in a major since the 2021 Open Championship, which feels odd for someone who once had 6 top-5 finishes in a 9 major stretch from 2014-2016.
THE FORMER CHAMPIONS
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 12: Jose Maria Olazaba of Spain plays his shot from the fourth tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
One of the coolest things about the majors in golf (well, except for the U.S. Open) is that the past and the present are all together. At The Masters especially, there always seems to be special moments of past champions being there on the weekend. This year we got to see a 61-year-old Vijay Singh and a 58-year-old Jose Maria Olazabal make the weekend. To see guys of that age make the cut on a course that was playing close to 7,600 yards is just awesome. It really goes to show just how important past experience is at The Masters. More on another past champion in the field later….
TIGER WOODS
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 14: Tiger Woods of the United States waves his hat to the crowd while walking to the 18th green during the final round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
The weekend wasn’t kind to Tiger, who went 82-77 to finish dead last among those who made the cut. However, the way he got himself around Augusta on Thursday and Friday in tough conditions to extend his cut streak at The Masters to 24 showed that there is still some left in the tank for him. Can he win another major? Probably not. But if he can get back to playing more consistently, he might be able to grab the solo lead on the all-time PGA Tour wins list.
AMEN CORNER
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 03: Amen corner signage is displayed during the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National Golf Club on April 03, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Another year, another showing for Amen Corner on Sunday. The 11th hole took down Masters rookie, Ludvig Aberg, and Collin Morikawa as both men put their approach shots in the pond to the left of the green. And once again the Par-3 12th hole claimed a victim. This time it was Max Homa who carried a shot just about a yard too long over the green and had to take an unplayable that led to a double bogey. There’s a reason that people say that The Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday and Amen Corner is primarily that reason.
…THE BACK NINE ON SUNDAY
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 14: Max Homa of the United States walks off the 12th tee during the final round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Building on Amen Corner, it showed just how important it is to have real pressure packed experience on the back nine on Sunday at Augusta National. Ludvig Aberg was a rookie, so he’s obviously never been there in that moment. Max Homa’s best finish at a Masters was last year at T43. And Collin Morikawa has never truly been in it on Sunday. Yes, he had finished top-10 at the last two Masters, but he started both Sunday’s well behind the leaders and never really had a chance. Scheffler’s experience proved to be the difference this year as he went 3-under on the homeward nine.
PGA TOUR AND LIV TOUR GUYS TOGETHER
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 13: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States (L) and Max Homa of the United States shake hands on the 18th green after finishing their round during the third round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Not much needs to be said about this one. The game is better and more exciting when ALL of the best players in the world are together. The game needs to be repaired and it needs to be repaired soon.
LUDVIG ABERG
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 14: Ludvig Åberg of Sweden walks to the 18th green during the final round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
He was a Masters rookie. He was playing in his first Major championship ever. He had a share of the lead on Sunday. Aberg is going to be such a star in this game. I feel like he spent the entire day smiling on the golf course, which was awesome. I was stunned when he mishit his approach on 11 because it felt like he was incapable of mishitting any shot. I’m excited to see what he can become over the course of his career.
THE WHOLE WEEK
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 14: Patrons cheer as Scottie Scheffler of the United States and caddie Ted Scott celebrate on the 18th green after winning the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
As a golf fan who watches week in and week out, Masters week is just better than every other week. Between the mystique of Augusta National, the added fanfare of the Par-3 contest, the Champions Dinner, ceremonial tee shots, etc. this week just tops every other one there is on the golf calendar. And the addition of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip, and Putt has added to it. It basically becomes a 10-day affair on TV of Augusta National Golf Club and I love soaking in every minute of it that I can.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 14: Scottie Scheffler of the United States poses with the Masters trophy after winning the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Scottie is just inevitable right now. Since April of 2022 he has two Green Jackets and 2 PLAYERS victories to go along with two more tournament wins. He’s finished in the top-10 in 9 of the last 12 major championships. I’m not ready to proclaim him as the next great superstar that golf needed because there have been a few that have faded away. However, Scottie is separating himself from the pack right now and he could very well become the next great superstar in the world of golf.
