Augusta, GA – Fifteen minutes after Scottie Scheffler gained the Masters title, a golf cart drove him to the again door of Butler’s cabin. The one sounds got here from a drone flying within the sky and a few birds. Watch for his inexperienced jacket inside. He appeared dazed. In fact he did. Prior to now 57 days, he gained 4 tournaments, together with a significant, and adjusted every part in his life. He cannot return to how issues had been earlier than.
He’s 25 years previous. This season he made $10 million. Contained in the sales space he placed on that jacket for the primary time–take it off so he might repeat the ceremony in entrance of a crowd ready for him across the eighteenth green–and after the interview was finished, he went outdoors. He nonetheless appeared just a little dazed and loved just a few lengthy seconds of silence till he got here again on the sight of the shepherds, who began to cheer and applaud.
He stated, “I do not actually know what to say…”.
He broke down and cried this morning—”like a baby,” he stated—feeling overwhelmed by the second: one spherical of golf to win the Masters, and a hurricane that might take over life after one thing like that. He is seen it infect folks he is aware of, like Jordan Spieth. He turned to his spouse in tears.
“I do not suppose I am prepared for this,” he advised her.
I made him a giant breakfast and tried to calm him down. She stated she cherished him whether or not he gained or misplaced by ten. They spoke of their widespread religion. He obtained to the course and began preparing.
“Oh, my God,” he stated, “it has been an extended morning.” “It was lengthy. My abdomen damage for 2 days in a row.”
Again in Texas, on the Royal Oaks Nation Membership, members and workers additionally warmed up.
“It is the calm earlier than the storm,” loyalist boss Dean Larson advised me Sunday morning.
Schaeffler started enjoying there as a baby, after his mother and father took out a mortgage to affix, all with the objective of following membership members like Justin Leonard on the PGA Tour.
“What’s actually particular,” stated Todd Moyen, president of the Royal Oaks.[is] As a result of Scotty grew up right here, everybody is aware of him.”
His dream was to be an expert.
He stated, “I wore the pants as a child on the Royal Oaks, as a result of I needed to play golf on the PGA Tour.”
As a child he wore these polo shirts and khakis to high school, and he dressed as a touring skilled. His classmates laughed.
“Actually,” he stated Sunday night time, laughing.
As a golf legend pupil in his state, he performed for school in Texas. On Saturday afternoon, Longhorns golf coach John Fields answered his cellphone at an airport and took his present staff to California for an occasion. He selected the event as a result of it was designed by Alistair Mackenzie, who additionally designed a small monitor referred to as Augusta Nationwide. Fields needed to organize his males for the larger levels. Schaeffler gained the identical event when he was a scholar. Fields watched the Masters on his cellphone whereas ready at his gate. He is virtually a part of the Schaeffler household at this level. 5 years in the past, Schaeffler performed on the US Open in Erin Hills. He walked down the aisle beside Brooks Koepka, along with his coach and pa behind them. Schaeffler’s father turned to the fields.
“Do you suppose he’ll come out right here sooner or later?” Requested.
It is humorous now, however Schaeffler’s dad does not actually know. I did the fields. He’d seen the actual factor earlier than – he coached Spith, for instance – and defined to his pal that the younger man in entrance of them wouldn’t solely make the tour, however construct a profession on it.
This prophecy has been fulfilled previously 57 days.
On Tremendous Bowl Sunday, Schaeffler gained his first occasion of the tour on the WM Phoenix Open. Again on the membership, Moen purchased a spherical of drinks for the nineteenth crowd and raised a glass to Scheffler and the membership. Everybody roar. These had been his folks. Schaeffler then went on to win, within the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play. He climbed within the golf world rankings to No. 1. On the Royal Oaks between wins, he nonetheless works with the children on the vary, creating chopping and inserting video games, typically lasting an hour. Earlier than leaving residence to return to Georgia, he performed a tour with three members. Then packs for the grasp. He could not consider it. When his first invitation got here within the mail, he began tearing up. Prior to now 57 days, a younger man was residing in a dream panorama.
“I do not suppose something has sunk in in the meanwhile,” he stated. “My head continues to be form of spinning.”
Augusta obtained just a little below the radar, even with all his success. All eyes had been on Tiger Woods, who was returning to aggressive golf simply 14 months after a automotive crash that price him his leg. Schaeffler wasn’t even a yr previous when Woods first gained right here.
“His YouTube clips are an inspiration to me,” Scheffler stated. “I bear in mind watching the highlights of his win in 97, form of working away with him, and he by no means actually broke his focus.”
Schaeffler now wears Tiger golf sneakers and shirts, and makes use of his irons, although he’ll possible have his personal line of all three quickly. He beat the legend on Thursday. On Friday, when Tiger’s surgically repaired knee started to fail, Schaeffler took the lead. He saved it on Saturday and after his lengthy night time and morning filled with tears, he went out on Sunday afternoon to defend her.
His hardest competitors got here from Rory McIlroy, who tied within the ultimate spherical with a Masters report with 64 stings. Rory had the largest roar within the afternoon. Fact be advised, the environment was silent on Sunday. When Schaeffler made his means residence via the again 9, there have been open areas on the ropes which might be typically 5 and 6 deep for these podiums. Various had been hoping for some form of breakdown to present McIlroy an opportunity to beat the Grand Slam.
Scheffler didn’t fold.
Again within the Royal Oaks, the nineteenth aperture was a standing room solely. When Schaeffler entered third, the largest shot of his life, the membership broke up. A person ran across the room and gave his kids. Gap after gap, the room reclined throughout moments of rigidity, ft burrowing into pink and yellow carpets. The lads drank from white Styrofoam cups.
When he chased 14 and achieved victory, the large males hugged and rubbed one another’s heads like schoolchildren. They knew Scheffler as a child, and now he’ll win the identical event as Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. A hymn erupted within the room calling for gunfire.
“Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!”
