Scottie Scheffler holds nerve to win Masters after Rory McIlroy’s late surge

Rory McIlroy’s wild celebrations were of a man who had just completed a career grand slam. Instead, Scottie Scheffler withstood one of the finest rounds in Augusta National’s fabled history to etch his name into folklore as a world No 1 who has won the Masters. Scheffler stood on the 18th tee with a five-shot lead in the 86th staging of this event. The stuff of dreams. A subsequent double bogey – which included a bizarre four-putt – mattered not a jot.

McIlroy’s race had looked run as he played from bunker to bunker on the tournament’s 72nd hole. Instead, the Northern Irishman holed out from the sand. The subsequent delirium of McIlroy and the galleries will linger as a moment for the ages. His 64 matched the lowest final round ever recorded in the Masters. His second place represents a career high in this major. Yet this was Scheffler’s day; just as it has been Scheffler’s year. What he may lack in personality he makes up for with iron accuracy that defies what pressure should do to even professional golfers.

-101st Scottie Scheffler (US) 69 67 71 71

-72 Rory McIlroy (NI) 73 73 71 64

-5T3 Shane Lowry (Ire) 73 68 73 69T3 Cameron Smith (Aus) 68 74 68 73

-45 Collin Morikawa (US) 73 70 74 67 

-3T6 Will Zalatoris (US) 71 72 75 67T6 Corey Conners (Can) 70 73 72 70

-1T8 Justin Thomas (US) 76 67 72 72T8 Im Sung-jae (Kor) 67 74 71 75

ET10 Cameron Champ (US) 72 75 71 70T10 Charl Schwartzel (SA) 72 69 73 74

Selected others+1T12 Dustin Johnson (US) 69 73 75 72T12 Danny Willett (Eng) 69 74 73 73+2T14 Lee Westwood (Eng) 72 74 73 71T14 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 75 72 70 73+3T23 Sergio García (Sp) 72 74 74 71+4 T27 Jon Rahm (Sp) 74 72 77 69+1347 Tiger Woods (US) 71 74 78 78

“I have dreamed of being here and competing,” Scheffler said.