AUGUSTA, Ga. — For the first time since 1994, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson is at the Masters. Woods is reportedly in treatment and dealing with legal issues after his recent crash; Mickelson is addressing a personal health matter. Both would have drawn the loudest galleries and largest headlines, even if they weren’t favorites to win this week.
Their absence has changed the sound and feel of Augusta National. In their place stands Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, whose presence projects a very different energy. Where Woods and Mickelson were frequently combustible, theatrical figures, Scheffler is deliberate, understated and centered — a family man from Texas whose faith and home life are clearly priorities.
He showed up on the practice green carrying his own putter, without a visible entourage or security, and has joked about not knowing how to use Instagram. Conversations with him drift more naturally to wife Meredith and their young children — Bennett, nearly 2, and newborn Remy — than to swing fixes or stat lines. He said Meredith has been handling the midnight feedings so he can rest during Masters week. 'My wife is a trouper,' he said.
Scheffler’s demeanor sho
