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Scottie Scheffler with his green jacket and trophy.Credit:Getty

It is said the Masters does not start until the back nine on Sunday,with many a green jacket won or lost with a trip through Amen Corner,the treacherous three-hole stretch that begins at the par-four 11th.

The drama actually started a little earlier at the ninth this year,where Scheffler had a tap-in birdie,that he nearly holed out for an eagle,to lead by one heading into the turn.

All around Scheffler,challengers were unravelling. Morikawa,who started the day one behind the leader,took a double bogey at nine to fall three shots off the pace.

As Scheffler was piling on the pressure with birdies at eight,nine and 10,Amen Corner bared its teeth to sink the hopes of three contenders – Aberg,Morikawa and Homa.

Ludvig Aberg hits from the bunker on the 18th.Credit:AP

Aberg and Morikawa found water at 11,taking double bogeys,while Homa suffered a double bogey at the par-three 12th after losing his ball in the bushes.

Even Scheffler could not escape Amen Corner unscathed with his run of three birdies ending with a bogey at 11.

But a birdie at 13 allowed Scheffler to walk away from Amen Corner at nine under,holding a three-shot lead over Aberg with five to play.

Aberg,however,was not waving the white flag,undoing the damage done at the 11th with back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 to stay in sight of the leader on two back.

But Scheffler did not take his foot off the gas either,answering with a tap-in birdie at 14 and another at 16 to seal the victory.

Meanwhile,Former British Open champion Cameron Smith finished as the leading Australian,and equal-top LIV Golf star,in a tie for sixth at two under with Bryson DeChambeau,after closing with a final-round 71.

Reuters

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