World number one Scottie Scheffler won the Masters for a second time after a commanding performance at Augusta National demonstrated why he was the red-hot pre-tournament favourite.

Scheffler, who led overnight by a shot, hit a four-under 68 in Sunday's final round to finish four clear on 11 under.

Sweden's Ludvig Aberg shot 69 to finish runner-up on his major debut.

England's Tommy Fleetwood (69) ended joint third with American pair Collin Morikawa (74) and Max Homa (73).

Fleetwood put together an impressive round to make a late charge up the leaderboard and record his best finish at the Masters.

But catching Scheffler was out of reach. The 27-year-old American showed rare emotion on the 18th green as he received the acclaim of the Augusta patrons after wrapping up his second Masters victory in three years.

There had been a possibility the 2022 champion might not even complete the final round.

Scheffler's wife Meredith is due to give birth to their first child and the Texan said on Saturday he was prepared to leave Augusta mid-round if she went into labour on Sunday.

Addressing his wife during the Green Jacket presentation ceremony, Scheffler said: "I love you and I'm coming home. I'll be home as quick as I can."

He added: "I can't put into words what it is like to win here again and what it will be like to become a father for the first time."

Not since Tiger Woods dominated golf in the 2000s had anybody arrived at Augusta as strong a favourite as Scheffler.

He came into the first major of the year on the back of two victories in his three previous tournaments - at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship - and a second-place finish at the Houston Open.

That imperious form, combined with his pedigree as a previous Masters champion, meant his odds were as short as 4-1 at the start of the week.

While not hitting the expected heights on the opening three days, particularly during an eventful round on Saturday where he recovered from several mistakes, he still led by a shot going into Sunday.

However, he lacked distance control with his irons in the opening holes and a bogey on the seventh dropped him back alongside Morikawa and Aberg. Homa joined them in a four-way tie for the lead after a birdie on the eighth.

But Scheffler - playing alongside Morikawa in the group behind Aberg and Homa - birdied the same hole to lead again on seven under.

Then came a moment of magic which felt like a potential turning point - and proved to be so.

Scheffler almost holed a magnificent 89-yard approach on the ninth, demonstrating sublime skill to spin the ball and use Augusta's contours to roll it towards the pin - leaving himself with a tap-in for back-to-back birdies.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1204 HRS, APR 15, 2024
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