Scottie Scheffler avoids collapse that cost Bryson DeChambeau, others at a white-knuckle Masters Saturday

AUGUSTA, GA. — Nothing tests the mettle of men like the Masters.

It’s not the hardest of the courses on which four major tournaments are played every year; that distinction usually goes to the masochistic U.S. Open. It’s not the best field; that’s usually the PGA Championship. It’s not even the most historically significant; this year’s edition is more than three generations greener than the 152nd British Open.

But it does possess the most mystique. All 88 Masters have been played at Augusta National, built by the godfather of American golf, Bobby Jones, on land bought for this purpose.

Hence, the pressure.

Hence, Scottie Scheffler’s advantage. He overcame a hard golf course Saturday to take a one-shot lead. He overcame anxiety in the interminable Sunday morning run-up to his midafternoon tee time when he won the 2022 Masters. Hence, the reason why the smart money’s on Scottie.

Saturday was rough.

Hence, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods making bogey or worse on half of his holes Saturday, shooting 10-over, standing 11-over, and falling more than 30 spots, into 52nd place.

Hence, five straight bogeys from Nicolai Hojgaard after taking the lead on No. 10. The Dane is a 23-year-old Masters rookie who surged through the world rankings.

Hence, 10 straight nervous pars from Collin Morikawa to end his day in second place at 6-under.

Hence, a white-knuckle afternoon from Max Homa, a 33-year-old social media star turned zen master chasing his first major and running from the demons in his mind.

Hence, a three-shot shot collapse in the last eight holes from Bryson DeChambeau, who, like Homa, is trying to rein in his fiery nature on a fiery golf course. As if the golf course pitied him, DeChambeau, who pushed his tee shot into the forest to the right of the 18th fairway, holed out from 77 yards for birdie and finished at 3-under.

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And, of course, hence the continued dominance of golf’s king, Scottie Scheffler, seeking to win his second green jacket in three years. He’s won two of his last three tournaments. In the absence from the PGA Tour of top golfers who’ve left for LIV Golf, Scheffler has been ranked No. 1 for the last 47 weeks, and he’s been absurdly consistent.

His 1-under 71 on Saturday left him on top, at 7-under, and was his 33rd consecutive round of par or better. He turned at 7-under, shook off a double-bogey at No. 10 and bogeys at Nos. 11 and 17 with an eagle at No. 13, a birdie at No. 15, and a finishing birdie at No. 18. None of the other players among the top eight birdied No. 15.

Finally fast and still windy, Augusta National surrendered only 12 subpar rounds Saturday. Chris Kirk’s 4-under 68 left him in a tie for 16th at 1-over. Morikawa, who switched putters for this tournament, is the only player under par all three rounds, and his 3-under 69 was second-best Saturday. His day started birdie-birdie-birdie before he dropped a shot at par-3 sixth hole, bounced back with birdie on the par-5 eighth, then held on for dear life.

With Scheffler out front, he’ll have to do more than just hang on if he’s going to win.

“Scottie is the No. 1 player in the world for a reason, and what he’s done over the past few years is incredible,” Morikawa said. Of course, unlike the two players behind him, Morikawa has major accomplishments to his name: the 2020 PGA and the 2021 British. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t scare me.”

Homa played scared all day. Part of a three-way tie with Scheffler and DeChambeau at 6-under after two rounds, he had 17 pars and a bogey and stood alone in third at 5-under.

“Very glad I got through it today,” Homa admitted, and vowed that, on Sunday, “I’m going to remind myself I’m a dog and I’m ready for this moment.”

Masters rookie Ludvig Åberg has needed no reminding. His 3-under 69 in Round 2 led a whiny field, was 2-under Saturday and stood fourth in the field, at 4-under. He played college golf at Texas Tech, so the breeze suits the Swede.

“We were actually saying that yesterday, that it was a normal day in Lubbock,” Åberg said.

A year after LIV Golf stars Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka finished tied for second, DeChambeau remains the best hope for the renegade tour, but he sounds like he’s on the edge of an abyss.

» READ MORE: The zen of Max Homa, and how it pushed him to the top of the Masters leaderboard

“It’s not easy when the course conditions aren’t just kind of lending to your favor, and just the breaks aren’t going your way,” he said, then remembered what had happened minutes before. “I had a great break on 18. I’ll take that any day of the week.”

He and Cam Smith, at 1-under and tied for ninth, were the only LIV golfers within hollering distance of Scheffler.

Scheffler knows how to handle the pressure.

Two years ago, his wife, Meredith, soothed him on Sunday morning in the home they rented here. She’s within three weeks of her due date for their first child, so she’s not here this time. Scottie prepared.

“I didn’t want to be alone at the house, so I recruited a few of my friends to come stay with me that were in town,” he said. “So we’ve got a couple of my close buddies at the house.”

Hence, the favorite.