Augusta (United States) (AFP) – Scottie Scheffler is well prepared for Augusta National’s challenges as he chases a third Masters victory in four years, but a stuffy nose and steak knife could offer sterner tests. Top-ranked defending champion Scheffler, who injured his right hand preparing Christmas dinner, has played his way back into top form ahead of Thursday’s opening round, having finished second two weeks ago in Houston. “I feel very prepared,” Scheffler said on Tuesday. “This year, coming off an injury, was definitely a different feeling than I’ve had in the last few years. But as far as preparedness goes, this is definitely as prepared as I’ve felt going into any event this year and I’m excited to get the tournament going.”
Scheffler was looking forward to the Masters Champions Dinner on Tuesday, but laughed at the notion he might offer a “make your own ravioli” station as part of his menu for the winners’ meal. It was while preparing homemade ravioli that Scheffler cut his hand, an injury that required stitches and sidelined him for several weeks at the start of the year. “If I was trying to take out the competition, I would definitely do a demonstration, something along those lines, but yeah, hopefully avoid the injuries,” Scheffler joked. “Maybe they’ll cut up my steak for me, I won’t have to use a knife or anything like that. We’ll see.”
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The 28-year-old American was also battling a stuffy nose thanks to abundant pollen on the Augusta National course famed for its flowers and trees. “This rain and pollen out here. I get out of my car in the morning, my eyes start watering. It’s a little bit worse than normal years,” said Scheffler. “But I feel good. Ready to roll. Sniffles aren’t going to stop me.” Little else has been able to stop Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 Masters champion who could match Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only back-to-back winners. He could also equal a Nicklaus feat with three wins in four years.
“I really don’t focus a lot of that stuff. I focus a lot on the preparation and getting ready to play and then I try to have a good attitude and approach the shots the right way. And that’s what I define success as,” Scheffler said. “When I step on the first tee on Thursday, I’m going to remind myself that I’ve done what I needed to do to play well, and it’s all about going out and competing now. I really try not to look too much into the past. I try not to look too far into the future. I just like to stay in the present and just go one week at a time.”
– ‘Quite incredible’ – Scheffler won nine times last year, including Paris Olympic gold and the Tour Championship. It’s a hot streak that had 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm comparing Scheffler’s season to all-time campaigns from Woods and Vijay Singh. “What we’ve seen Scottie do over the last three or four years is quite impressive. His ball-striking level is outstanding,” Rahm said. “Anytime you have a year where you’re being compared to Tiger in his prime, I don’t think I need to add anything else to that. Winning nine times, winning majors, winning FedEx Cups and just all-out being the best throughout the season is quite incredible. That I can remember, the only three players that have won nine times in a calendar year in a very long time have been Scottie, Vijay and Tiger. That’s a very short list.”
Such things also spend a short time in Scheffler’s mind, especially when the fight for another major title is so close at hand and so much depends on reacting to how weather impacts Augusta National’s undulating and lightning-fast greens. “A lot of the strategy for this place changes with the conditions of the course,” Scheffler said. “Depending on the firmness of the greens, there are certain pins you can try to attack and certain pins you’ve got to steer clear of. Anytime you’re missing a fairway out here, you’re going to be scrambling to make par.”
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