On Sunday 14 April, Rolex Testimonee Scottie Scheffler held off his final-round rivals to claim his second Masters title in three years. After an enthralling early battle for the coveted Green Jacket, the American drew away from his challengers in the closing stages to win by four strokes. Having tasted success in 2022, he went into the 88th edition of the Masters Tournament as the favourite and showed trademark composure to triumph in front of the delighted patrons at the Augusta National Golf Club.
Demonstrating his supreme all-round game, Scheffler produced another formidable display in the beautiful surroundings of Augusta National. With the high winds of Thursday and Friday giving way to sun-baked greens on Saturday and Sunday, his handling of the variable conditions was masterly throughout, navigating the azalea-lined fairways and manicured greens with expert precision and confirming his position as the one to beat.
Augusta National has a propensity for producing magical moments and there was no shortage of drama at this year’s event. Scheffler showed his expert touch in a bogey-free opening round to trail by one shot, and soon took control of proceedings. The 27-year-old won the 2022 Masters after taking a 52-hole lead into Sunday and at this year’s edition, he took the lead early in the second round and remained in that position until the very end. In a remarkable display of accuracy, excellence and consistency, Scheffler’s performance served as a reminder of why he is ranked World No. 1. Ultimately prevailing over a field comprising the world’s leading golfers, including an illustrious list of major champions, he carded rounds of 66, 72, 71 and 68 to claim victory with an 11-under-par total of 277.
Tradition and history abound at the Masters Tournament, and this year the Augusta National Golf Club celebrated 25 years of partnership with Rolex. For almost 60 years, the Swiss watchmaker has supported the finest players of every era, from Arnold Palmer and his fellow members of The Big Three, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, to today’s champions. With this victory, Scheffler joins an exclusive group of Rolex Testimonees to have won the Masters more than once, including Palmer (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964), Player (1961, 1974, 1978), Nicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986), Tom Watson (1977, 1981), Bernhard Langer (1985, 1993), José María Olazábal (1994, 1999) and Tiger Woods (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019).
In keeping with ceremonial tradition, Scheffler received the iconic Green Jacket from fellow Testimonee and 2023 champion Jon Rahm. Introduced in 1937, the Green Jacket is a symbol of excellence in the sport and one of golf’s crowning achievements. Discussing what it meant to achieve this historic feat at Augusta National and to follow in the footsteps of many Rolex golf legends, Scheffler said: “It’s extremely special to be mentioned in the same context as those individuals. I still remember watching the Rolex commercial from a couple of years ago when I won the Tournament. They always have such beautiful advertisements. Rolex is such a timeless organization and seeing myself put on the Green Jacket in a Rolex advertisement was pretty wild, and so I’m proud to be associated with their brand. I’m proud to be associated with those other great champions as well.”
There were a number of strong performances from other Rolex Testimonees at the 2024 Masters Tournament. Vying for his first Masters crown, two-time major champion Collin Morikawa finished tied for third, his best showing at Augusta National to date. Tiger Woods set a new Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut, while the prodigiously talented Swede Ludvig Åberg, in his maiden major appearance, continued his meteoric rise by finishing in second place, helped by an impressive 69 in Friday’s buffeting winds, the day’s lowest score. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of his first Masters Tournament victory and 25 years on from claiming his second Green Jacket, José María Olazábal, 58, displayed all the skill of a two-time champion by making the cut and recording his best finish at Augusta National since 2014.
