Live Updates | Scheffler captures 1st major with Masters win

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The Latest on the Masters (all times local):

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7 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler has lived up to the hype at Augusta National.

The world’s top-ranked player captured his first major championship with a three-stroke victory at the Masters.

Scheffler came into the day with a three-shot lead, and he made sure it held up by closing with a 1-under 71. He finished at 10-under 278 overall, winning for the fourth time in his last six tournaments.

Scheffler four-putted for a double-bogey at the final hole, but he had such a comfortable lead it didn’t matter.

Rory McIlroy was the runner-up after shooting 64, but he came into the day 10 strokes behind and was never a serious challenger to Scheffler.

Early on, it looked like Scheffler might get pushed by Cameron Smith.

The Aussie closed within a shot after starting the round with two straight birdies. But Scheffler chipped in for an unlikely birdie at No. 3, Smith made bogey and it wasn’t really close after that two-shot swing.

Smith’s last hurrah was a birdie at the tough 11th hole that brought the margin back to three shots. But the Aussie promptly dumped one in the water at the famous 12th hole in Amen Corner, leading to a triple-bogey that finished off his chances.

Smith shot 73 and finished five shots behind the winner, in a tie for third place with Shane Lowry.

McIlroy had the round of the day, capped by a birdie at the 18th when he holed out from a bunker. But his quest for the career Grand Slam will have to wait another year.

The green jacket goes to the 25-year-old Texan.

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5:50 p.m.

Rory McIlroy finished with a flourish at the Masters.

McIlroy, who is missing only a green jacket to complete the career Grand Slam, put together a spirited final round. His 8-under 64 included an unlikely birdie from the sand on the par-4 18th.

McIlroy’s bogey-free trip around Augusta National matched the best final round in the history of the Masters and pushed him into second place at 7 under, trailing only Scottie Scheffler.

His round included six birdies and an eagle at the par-5 13th.

McIlroy’s playing partner, Collin Morikawa, followed McIlroy’s lead at the last hole, making birdie from the sand shortly after McIlroy pulled off the feat.

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5:40 p.m.

Cameron Smith’s bid for his first green jacket may be over.

The Australian hit into Rae’s Creek on the 12th hole at the Masters, leading to a triple bogey that dropped him six shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

Smith trailed by three on the 12th tee but knew immediately his tee shot was in trouble. It splashed short of the green. His pitch from the penalty area sailed long to drop him well off the pace at 4 under.

Scheffler’s tee shot on 12 went long and left. He pitched across the green to 8 feet and calmly sank the par putt.

Scheffler is at 10 under as the holes tick down. His closest challenger is Rory McIlroy at 6 under. McIlroy is putting together the best round of the tournament but is running out of time.

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5:05 p.m.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is closing in on his first major championship.

The 25-year-old from Texas has a four-shot lead over Cameron Smith of Australia through 10 holes of the final round.

Scheffler posted a bogey-free 2-under 34 on the front nine to reach 11 under for the tournament before a bogey at No. 10 dropped him back to 10 under with eight holes to go.

Scheffler’s front nine included a chip-in for birdie on the par-4 third hole to restore some breathing room after Smith had drawn within one shot of the lead.

The big move is coming from Rory McIlroy. An eagle on the par-5 13th pushed him to 6 under for the tournament.

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3:35 p.m.

The Masters is back where the day started, with Scottie Scheffler leading Cameron Smith by three shots.

A two-shot swing happened on the par-4 3rd hole. Scheffler chipped in from short of the green for birdie, while Smith — with almost an identical chip — put his well past the hole and missed the par putt coming back.

Through three holes, Scheffler moved to 10 under, Smith dropped to 7 under.

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3:15 p.m.

Cameron Smith has pulled within one shot of Scottie Scheffler’s lead at the Masters.

Smith made birdie on each of his first two holes on Sunday at Augusta National. Scheffler parred both. And just like that, Scheffler’s three-shot edge entering the final round was down to one.

They are Sunday’s final pairing.

Scheffler remained 9 under going to the third tee. Smith’s second birdie moved him to 8 under. He and Scheffler are the only players to get to 8 under or better so far in this Masters.

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3 p.m.

Tiger Woods walked up the 18th fairway, removed his cap and acknowledged roars from the patrons at Augusta National.

He wasn’t even close to winning the Masters. And it didn’t matter.

Woods shot a 6-over round of 78 on Sunday in the final round. He finished at 13 over for the week, his total of 301 by far his worst at the Masters and one shot off his worst 72-hole score ever as a professional.

None of the numbers seemed that significant.

This was Woods’ comeback tournament that came just over a year after the car crash that nearly cost him his right leg, or worse. He said coming into the Masters that just getting back was an accomplishment.

Woods was limping throughout his final round, and the limp seemed much worse Sunday than it was earlier in the Masters.

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2:45 p.m.

Masters rookie Min Woo Lee is off to a hot start in the final round of the tournament.

The 23-year-old Lee shot a 6-under 30 on the front nine to surge into red numbers. Lee eagled the par-5 second hole after an approach shot that landed 4 feet from the cup. He then added a string of birdies at Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 to get to 2 under overall.

Woo made the cut in his first Masters right on the number at 4-over 148. He put together an even-par 72 on Saturday.

The best round at Augusta National this week is 5-under 67. That is well within reach for Woo, who made the turn to the back nine around the time leader Scottie Scheffler began his final round in a quest for his first major title.

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1:45 p.m.

Tiger Woods just played a shot left-handed. He didn’t have much of a choice.

Woods’ second shot on the par-5 13th missed the green to the left and the ball came to a stop at the edge of some high grass and pine straw. If that wasn’t bad enough, it also was basically at the edge of a bush. And Woods had no place to stand to play his third shot.

He thought about playing the ball right-handed from very far back in his stance, then went to the other side of the ball, flipped his wedge upside down and hoped for the best. The ball advanced a few feet onto the green, leaving Woods a very long birdie try.

He sent that putt about 6 feet past the hole, then made the comebacker for par. Woods was 3 over for the day at that point, 10 over for the tournament with five holes remaining.

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12:50 p.m.

Tiger Woods has nine holes left to play at the Masters.

The former world No. 1 and five-time Masters champion is clearly laboring as he walks the course at Augusta National. He’s been using his clubs as makeshift canes on some of his walks, gently leaning on them from time to time.

He played the front nine in 2-over 38 on Sunday. That dropped him to 9 over for the tournament — good at that point for 46th place among the 52 players who made the cut.

Barring a very big rally, Woods will post his highest 72-hole score ever at the Masters. He shot 5-over 293 as an amateur in his Masters debut while finishing tied for 41st in 1995, then shot the same in 2012 when he slogged to a tie for 40th place.

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10:50 a.m.

Tiger Woods has teed off in his final round of this year’s Masters.

Wearing his traditional Sunday red, Woods started the day 7 over for the tournament and obviously not in contention. The five-time Masters champion began the day 16 shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

This was Woods’ first official tournament since the pandemic-delayed Masters in November 2020. He had back surgery not long after that and then in February 2021 nearly lost his right leg when he crashed his car in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Woods has been walking with a pronounced limp this week, but still defied long odds simply by getting back to Augusta National and able to play again. He’s playing Sunday with reigning U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm.

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10:25 a.m.

Masters Sunday has arrived, and the first pairings are on the course at Augusta National.

Forecasters expect a warmer day for the final round of the Masters. There was some frost in the Augusta area overnight, but players who were playing Sunday morning at the Masters clearly didn’t have as many layers of attire on as many did on Saturday when temperatures struggled to get out of the 40’s.

Scottie Scheffler takes a three-shot lead into the final round. He’ll tee off at 2:40 p.m. along with Cameron Smith.

Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama starts tied for 14th and begins at 1:10 p.m.

Tiger Woods begins his final round at 10:50 a.m.

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