Scheffler's Masters pursuers get dreams crushed in Amen Corner

AUGUSTA, Georgia : Scottie Scheffler had a trio of golfers breathing down his neck during the final round of the Masters until they all abruptly joined the unsavoury list of Amen Corner victims and opened the door for him to slip into a second Green Jacket.

The pivotal Amen Corner consists of holes 11-13 and the treacherous stretch tends to be a pivotal spot in deciding the Masters tournament each year but it is rare to see so many golfers crumble in such quick succession.

Scheffler, fresh off three consecutive birdies, reached the par-four 11th clinging to a two-shot lead but when he exited Amen Corner, which has famously thwarted many Sunday runs for the Green Jacket, he led by three shots and was well on his way.

The first victim was Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, who was making his major championship debut and for much of the week had looked like a seasoned pro around Augusta National.

Aberg, playing one group ahead of Scheffler, was a shot back when he reached the par-four 11th hole where he racked up a round-derailing double-bogey after sending his second shot into the pond that guards the green to the left.

"The wind caught it and hit it in the water," Aberg said of his approach shot from 216 yards out. "It was probably one of the few swings this week where I really put it in a bad spot where I knew I couldn't miss left and I missed it left."

While Aberg went on to make two consecutive birdies starting at the par-five 13th it proved too little, too late as Scheffler smelled blood and birdied three of his final six holes to seal the deal well before he tapped in for par at the last.

Collin Morikawa was tied with playing partner Scheffler when they reached the ninth hole but slipped back after a double-bogey and then fell out of