Scottie Scheffler Makes History During Runner-Up Finish at 2026 Masters

The University of Texas alumnus almost denied Rory McIlroy a second straight win at Augusta but still achieved an impressive feat despite finishing second.

Scottie Scheffler tips his hat to patrons as he walks off the 18th green during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. | Katie Goodale-Imagn Images

The 2026 Masters Tournament saw quite the fight pickup on the back nine Sunday afternoon and resulted in Rory McIlroy taking home his second straight green jacket with a -12 score, with Scottie Scheffler finishing one stroke behind in his effort to win his third career Masters.

The current No. 1-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking, a spot he has held since May of 2023, Scheffler encountered a rough start at Augusta in the first two rounds, finishing the first half on par, before finishing with the -11 in the second half (-7 during round three, -4 during round four) that earned him second place.

And during that tear in the second half of competition, Scheffler achieved a feat that had not been performed at the Tournament in over 80 years.

Scottie Scheffler Records Feat Not Seen Since 1942 In Runner-Up Masters Performance

Scottie Scheffler walks off the third green after making a birdie putt during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In that incredible last half of play, the former Longhorn finished the tournament with 39 straight bogey-free holes, becoming the first player without a bogey over the last 36 holes at The Masters in last 84 years.

Scheffler does have one win in the 2026 PGA Tour, winning the Desert Classic in La Quinta, CA for his 25th professional win.

Since joining the Tour in 2019, Scheffler has taken the golf world by storm, winning the 2019-20 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Award and in 2024 alone, the Longhorn recorded seven wins, which including the Masters Tournament, which he also won in 2022.

Scheffler also shined on the national level in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, winning gold in the men's individual event, beating out fellow PGA Tour competitors in Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama.

Scheffler is a three-time and reigning recipient of the Best Golfer ESPY Award, winning the award in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The New Jersey-born golfer is also a three-time winner of the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award and the PGA Tour Money List winner, both of those honors coming in the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2024 PGA Tour seasons.

And even while he was attending school in Austin, his talent was something you had to see to believe, winning the Big 12 individual championship in 2015, and the Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year as well as Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, and would then qualify for his first U.S. Open in 2016, when he was just 20 years old.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.