Jim Souhan: Scottie Scheffler shows what makes him special as he wins second Masters

AUGUSTA, GA. – Running is not allowed at the Masters.

Dancing is approved, if you're doing the Scheffler Shuffle.

Scottie Scheffler flaunted his ball-striking dominance and unique footwork Sunday to win his second Masters in three years. The world's No. 1-ranked player surged when he could have stood still, becoming the only player on the top half of the leaderboard to shoot a 68, and won by four strokes over Swedish phenom Ludvig Åberg.

Good golfers adhere to norms. Great golfers become fluent in their own body language. Scheffler's foot-shuffling swing is as idiosyncratic as Lee Trevino's or Arnold Palmer's. He takes a conventional backswing, then so fully releases the club on the downswing that, especially when hitting a driver, his right foot is pulled forward and sometimes both feet twist around as if he were a novice roller skater.

The move would be unsightly, even comical, if the ball didn't regularly vector toward its target. Scheffler, the pleasant competitor, has not shot a round over par this year.

"I was sitting around with my buddies this morning, and I was telling them I wish I didn't want to win as badly as I do," Scheffler said. "It would make Sunday mornings easier. I love to win, and I really hate to lose."

That's not always the case in the world of golf, where you can become wildly wealthy without ever hoisting a trophy. Scheffler has admitted he was a nervous wreck before the final round of the 2022 Masters. Sadly for his competitors, he sounds as if he learned from that experience.

In 2022, he held a big lead on the 18th tee, began thinking about tailoring his green jacket and four-putted the 18th green. On Sunday, he one-putted.

"One-putting is significantly easier," he said with a laugh. "I tried not to let my emotions get the best of me this time. I kept my head down. I don't even think I took my hat off and acknowledged the crowd."

The tournament turned for the final time at Amen Corner, although "amen" was likely not the four-letter word being muttered by Scheffler's competitors.

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