AUGUSTA, Ga. — Not often in sports activities do the 2 greatest groups or gamers in a given season meet for the sport’s largest prize. Consider all of the near-titanic clashes that have not occurred over time. Upsets happen, groups blow leads and followers are left hypothesizing what might have been.
The 2022 Masters will not be a type of occasions. By any metric and from any angle, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith have been the world’s two greatest golfers in 2022, and on Sunday afternoon at Augusta Nationwide, they’re going to meet on the primary tee with no one else even near them as they sq. off for a inexperienced jacket.
Scheffler leads the best way at 9 underneath after a 1-under 71 on Saturday that wobbled a bit late as he shot 38 on the second 9. Smith is three again at 6 underneath after his second 68 of the week (and Saturday’s the spherical of the day). The pair emerged from a chilly, windy, often-lifeless third spherical by which beanies have been extra distinguished than the booming roars that usually trundle down the hills and hollows of Augusta Nationwide on Saturday afternoon.
With simply seven gamers nonetheless underneath par, Scheffler and Smith — the 2 hottest golfers alive — have set the stage for what might go down as one of many nice tussles in Masters remaining spherical historical past.
This week has been a microcosm of their years. There have been 13 non-opposite discipline PGA Tour occasions performed this season, and Scheffler and Smith have received 5 of them, together with 4 of the final 5 by which at the least one was within the discipline.
Since Jan. 1, they rank No. 1 and No. 2 within the Official World Golf Rankings factors earned, complete strokes gained (per Knowledge Golf) and PGA Tour victories.
This week, they rank No. 1 and No. 2 in strokes gained from tee to inexperienced, birdies made by 54 holes and, oh yeah, on the leaderboard.
Scheffler leads Smith by three and Sungjae Im by 5. No person else is inside six of Scheffler or three of Smith. On the final 31 Masters, 26 champions have come from the ultimate pairing, and whereas a miracle spherical from Im — or an otherwordly from the golfers at 2 underneath or 1 underneath — is definitely potential, at this level it might take one thing inconceivable to leapfrog each of them.
Going into Saturday’s third spherical, I used to be interested by who would rise as much as problem Scheffler within the hardest situations of the week (technically, the second spherical scoring common was increased than the third, however the third spherical wasn’t bloated by scores from amateurs and previous champions). Smith turned out to be that man. He went out in 34 and got here residence in the identical on Saturday. That symmetry belies his yo-yo rounds. On Thursday, he made eight birdies and two doubles for a cool 68. Within the remaining spherical of The Gamers Championship in March, an occasion he received, Smith made 10 birdies and simply 4 pars.
When you’re on the lookout for a Jordan Spieth Sunday Curler Coaster facsimile to hop aboard, Smith is your man.
“[Winning The Players] simply means I can get it carried out I assume once I’m up in opposition to one of the best guys on this planet,” mentioned Smith on Saturday. “It is a good feeling to have. It is earned. It is not given to you. So, I will should go on the market tomorrow and play actually good golf once more, in all probability much like at present. Hopefully, all the things simply falls into place. I am unable to management what anybody else goes to do tomorrow. So, yeah, simply go on the market and actually concentrate on myself.”
This Sunday battle is harking back to 2018 when Patrick Reed led Rory McIlroy by three going into the ultimate spherical with no one else in sight. McIlroy pulled to inside one on the second gap, however Reed vaporized him the remainder of the best way. Smith wants to use the strain to Scheffler that McIlroy could not apply to Reed over the primary 9 after which let issues trip on the second 9.
After he received the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play on the finish of March, a choked-up Scheffler talked about how a lot he loves competing. It is instructive as a result of his swing and his sport does not have “No. 1 participant in the world” written throughout it just like the video games of Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy or Adam Scott. On Saturday evening, he reiterated how a lot he craves the second.
“Must be an excellent struggle tomorrow,” mentioned Scheffler. “Clearly, Cam is an incredible participant, and he is acquired a incredible quick sport, and he is coming off an enormous win at The Gamers. Each of us are in good type, so I am undoubtedly wanting ahead to the problem of enjoying with him tomorrow. … Taking part in within the remaining group is all the time a lot enjoyable, so I am wanting ahead to it.”
What we get on Sunday at the Masters is so uncommon, particularly in golf. As a result of there are such a lot of permutations at occasions with so many golfers within the discipline, it virtually by no means shakes out in order that the 2 greatest are additionally the final two on the vary on Sunday afternoon.
It will get even higher stylistically. The clean-cut Texas boy who seems like he is approaching center age in opposition to the straggly Australian child who has to develop chin hair to look sufficiently old to purchase drinks.
Scheffler will get it carried out off the tee. Smith has one of the best quick sport on this planet. Each are flush from the green. It is not a good struggle as a result of Scheffler took the primary three rounds, and Smith wants a wholesome comeback on Sunday to take the belt. It is virtually higher that method, although, with Scheffler making an attempt to get to the home and Smith making an attempt to maintain him out on the course till he can run him down.
Golf in 2022 has been constructing towards this. The 2 defining characters of the 12 months clashing for essentially the most coveted piece of material in all of sports activities. They’ve delivered so many nice moments up to now, and at the least certainly one of them has received a event in every of the primary three months. That may virtually certainly prolong to 4 on Sunday, although we do not but know who will do it.
What we do know, although, based mostly on the proof we’ve this 12 months, is that regardless of who wins or the way it occurs or the ultimate rating, Scottie Scheffler and Cam Smith will do what they’ve carried out at each flip up to now this season. Once they tee it up late within the Georgia afternoon because the climate tries to show heat once more, they’re going to exit and provides us yet another present.
