Golfer Scottie Scheffler Wins First Masters—And Woods Finishes 47th

Topline

Scottie Scheffler—the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world—extended his dominance by winning the 86th annual Masters tournament Sunday, outdoing second-place finisher Rory McIlroy by finishing the tournament 10 under par and claiming his first victory in a major championship, while five-time winner Tiger Woods struggled mightily in his part-time return to the sport.

Key Facts

Scheffler became the tenth-youngest winner of the prestigious tournament, claiming his first green jacket at 25 years and ten months old, four years older than Tiger Woods when he won his first Masters at the age of 21 in 1997—the youngest to ever do it.

Despite McIlroy’s late surge Sunday to finish seven under par, the green jacket eluded him once again, falling short of a Masters win in his 14th appearance at the tournament, though Sunday’s second-place finish was a career-best for the 32-year-old, who has claimed a win at least once at every other major golf tournament.

Collin Morikawa, last year’s winner, finished fifth at four under par.

Woods, 46, finished 47th in the tournament earlier Sunday—one of the worst finishes of his career—but pledged to play again at the British Open in July.

Big Number

$2.7 million. That’s the prize money Scheffler will take home from Augusta National Golf Club, the largest share of the $15 million purse from the Masters.

Key Background

After a single-car wreck in February 2021 left him with major leg injuries, Woods said he would compete in tournaments part-time. This week’s Masters marked his first competitive appearance since the 2020 Masters a year and a half ago.

What To Watch For

The PGA Championship, the next major golf tournament, will begin May 19 at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The U.S. Open will follow, teeing off June 16 from the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Following Sunday’s Masters, Woods told Sky Sports he was unsure if he will play in either of the upcoming majors, but confirmed he will play at the British Open in July: “It’s my favorite golf course in the world,” Woods said of the Old Course at St. Andrews, where the British Open will take place, “so I will be there for that one, but anything in between that I don’t know.”