In a scenario that anticipated applauding the local hero Scottie Scheffler’s third consecutive victory this season, Stephan Jaeger snatched the trophy from the world number one at the Texas Children Houston Open. The 34-year-old German capitalized on Scheffler’s struggles on the greens to claim his first PGA Tour win and secure a ticket to the Masters at Augusta, a major tournament he has never played.
He becomes the third player from his country to lift a title in the big league after Bernhard Langer and Martin Kaymer. In a tightly contested tournament – seven players had chances until the final shot to force a playoff – Scheffler squandered a fabulous opportunity on the 18th hole.
Stephan Jaeger, results
With a two-meter putt to force the playoff, Scheffler missed while Jaeger, beside him, had already resigned to his fate despite his final day’s 67, as the ball broke left. Jaeger, the foreign golfer with the most victories in the history of the Korn Ferry Tour, the developmental league of the American circuit – with six titles, only surpassed by American Jason Gore – had pursued his first career trophy in the big leagues for 134 tournaments without success.
After playing the front nine at three under par (four birdies and one bogey), he managed to secure the win with nine consecutive pars. He becomes the fifth player to clinch his debut victory on the PGA Tour this year in just three months.
Scheffler ended up tied with five other players, one shot behind. Among them was Argentine Alejandro Tosti, the golfer from Rosario who made a bogey on the 18th hole, ultimately crowning Jaeger as the champion. The Masters Tournament, commonly known as the Masters or the US
Masters outside North America, stands as one of the four prestigious men’s major golf championships in professional golf. Traditionally scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters heralds the beginning of the major golf tournament season.
Distinguished by its unique tradition, the Masters is the sole major tournament held consistently at one venue: the revered Augusta National Golf Club, nestled in the city of Augusta, Georgia. The inception of the Masters Tournament can be attributed to the vision of amateur golf champion Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts.
Following Jones’s remarkable grand slam achievement in 1930, he, alongside course architect Alister MacKenzie, acquired a former plant nursery and together they crafted the splendid Augusta National Golf Club. Since its inauguration in 1934, the Masters has been recognized as an official money event on prestigious golf tours such as the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour.
Notably, the field of players is more exclusive compared to other major championships as it operates as an invitational event under the auspices of the Augusta National Golf Club.