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How Scottie Scheffler really feels about his game ahead of The Masters compared to previous years

Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
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Scottie Scheffler will be looking to win The Masters for the third time this week.

Scheffler triumphed at Augusta National in 2022 and 2024 and he has won two more majors since those Masters victories.

The 29-year-old world number one has won on the PGA Tour this season, but he has been nowhere near his brilliant best.

Perhaps Augusta National will bring out the best in Scottie Scheffler, and the fact that he enters The Masters this week slightly more under the radar should do him the world of good.

His wife gave birth last week and he hasn’t played since The Players Championship in mid-March.

Scottie Scheffler after winning The Masters in 2024
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

As a result, he may well be slightly rusty and he isn’t being as heavily tipped to win as he has been over the past few years.

However, there’s still a very good chance that Scheffler will contend to win The Masters this week.

How Scottie Scheffler feels about his game ahead of The Masters

Scheffler spoke to reporters at Augusta National on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the first round of The Masters on Thursday.

He was asked to share how he honestly feels about his game right now, having not played competitively for four weeks.

Game feels like it’s in a good spot, Scheffler said.

I got some rest the last few weeks at home. So I feel rested and ready to go this week.

Scottie Scheffler of the United States and caddie Ted Scott celebrate on the 18th green after winning the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

He was then asked how his game compares now to how he felt heading into The Masters over the past four years.

That’s a tough one,” the world number one admitted.

I don’t know. I try not to look too far in the past, I try not to look too far in the future. For me to think about that, that would take a little bit of work, which I don’t want to do right now.

Scottie Scheffler delivers Amen Corner verdict ahead of The Masters

The world number one was asked to give his opinion on the three holes which make up Amen Corner at Augusta National.

I think it starts with 11, Scheffler said.

I think 11 — it’s funny, we were playing a practice round here on Sunday. I was playing with Adam Scott, and I kind of went to the middle of the tee box just because that’s where we’ve been playing all day, and I hit my ball.

It was playing into the wind that day, and we were walking off the tee. I look at the marker, and from the front of the tee box, it’s 520 yards. As short as it will ever play, it’s 520, especially to have shorter green side. 11 is a really challenging hole.

If you look at 12, it’s a big swing hole as well. If you hit a really good shot in there, you’re going to get a good look at birdie, but the penalty is also pretty severe. So that’s an extremely important shot.

Same thing when you look at the approach into 13, if you hit a good drive, you can hit the green and two-putt and have a fairly simple birdie, but you start getting off line, you can make a number there as well.

I look at the holes on that golf course as big swing holes, if that makes sense. Those are holes that can pretty much define a round if you’re playing well or if you’re playing poorly.

Anyone who has real prospects of winning The Masters this year will have to play holes 11 through 13 to a very high standard and avoid making a big number on any of them.

Is there really anyone better placed to come out of Amen Corner unscathed during Masters week than Scheffler?

The answer to that question, as it is most years, is most probably no.