Smith was forced to make do with another top-10 showing as Scheffler won the Masters for the second time in three years.
After finishing in the top ten for the fifth time, Cameron Smith feels like the clock is running out to win the Masters. The Australian golfer experienced an unfortunate case of food poisoning prior to the competition, but he refused to attribute his lack of success to bad luck when it came to pursuing the leaders on the last day of play.
On Sunday, Smith made a spectacular hole-out eagle on the par-5 second, raising the possibility of a final-round charge. However, his short game ultimately let him down for the second day in a row. The Australian shot just one birdie in the last round, and after making his only bogey on the fifth, Smith ended the round with 13 consecutive pars and several missed birdie putts.
With a two-under 71 on Sunday, he tied for sixth place overall. The Australian, who came in second in 2020, has finished in the top ten once more. After his last round performance, Smith thought he might have blown it. Smith remarked, “I tried to keep the momentum going today, but I just couldn’t get anything going.”
“I am now thirty years old. “It may sound absurd, but there will come a time in my career when things start to go south,” Smith acknowledged.
“Hopefully, I am still improving and competitive enough to play with the world’s top players. However, the time passes quickly and these opportunities come only once a year, so you must seize them.”
Despite being bedridden for two days due to stomach problems, Smith only completed 18 practice holes prior to the tournament, but he refused to attribute it to bad luck. He claimed that his rush of adrenaline kept him on the golf course.
“It was a difficult start to the week, and I didn’t prepare as well as I would have liked, but I played well and hit the ball well. Simply put, things didn’t go as planned.”
Scottie Scheffler makes history with second Masters win
Scottie Scheffler won the Masters for the second time in three years, putting his dominance over the golf world on full display once more. Finishing at 11-under 277, he defeated young Swede Ludvig Aberg by four strokes on Sunday, holding off all opponents with a four-under-par 68.
With his third victory of the year, the World No. 1 joined an elite group of players as the first to win the Masters, Players Championship, and Arnold Palmer Invitational all in the same season since Tiger Woods 23 years ago. Scheffler’s victory makes him the fourth youngest man to win at least two green jackets, behind Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Seve Ballesteros. He also becomes the only player to win both the US junior amateur championship and multiple Masters titles, joining Woods in that regard.
Throughout the final round, Scheffler’s victory at the Masters was never guaranteed. The World No. 1 had stated before the tournament that he would quit the course right away if he received word that his heavily pregnant wife Meredith had gone into labor. Following his triumph at the Masters for the second time, Scheffler hurriedly left to be with his spouse. “I’m returning home. I will return home as soon as possible. Following his second Masters victory, a tearful Scheffler remarked, “I’m about to cry here in Butler Cabin.”
“I wish I had more time to process this, but my only concern right now is getting home. It’s a truly unique moment for the two of us. I truly have no words to describe what it means to win this competition once more, much less what it will be like to become a father for the first time.
“I will undoubtedly enjoy the birth of my first child, and golf will come in fourth on my list of priorities when that happens very soon. I still enjoy competing, though. I have no intention of letting up on this anytime soon.”
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