The Masters: Scottie Scheffler explains how to play from a fairway divot

It might be the shot that amateurs dread the most. But for Scottie Scheffler, landing in a fairway divot just leads to another birdie.

Picture the scene. You’ve hit two solid shots and your ball is greenside at a par-5. In your head, you’re planning the high and soft shot you’re going to play that will have your ball settling nicely beside the pin.

But, when you reach your ball, it’s sitting in an old divot.

Understandably, a lot of players would let their heads drop. Their next shot would probably end up bladed over the green or duffed in front of them, and that birdie could turn into a bogey or worse.

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However, Scottie Scheffler is not most golfers. It’s the exact situation he found himself on the par-5 eighth hole during his first round of the Masters, where he fired a bogey-free round of 68.

Scheffler found himself to the right of the green on the reachable-in-two hole and, under normal circumstances, would have flown his ball all the way to hole.

But, when his shot came out low and with pace, patrons at Augusta National were a little surprised. However, it was exactly how Scheffler drew things up.

After his round, he explained how he played the dreaded fairway divot shot.

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“I hit a really awesome shot to get it to about 15 feet,” the defending champion said.

“I had to put it in the back of my stance, stand close to it, make sure I got ball first and I hit this kind of low skipper.”

As Scheffler explains, there was only one way in which he could have played the shot. If he tried to play the ball from the front of the stance with an open clubface, he would have struggled to make a solid strike.

“I was fortunate to be able to get some spin on it because it was sitting so deep in that grass, I was surprised it didn’t hit the front of the divot when it came out. That’s how deep it was,” he said.

“But, was able to get some spin, spun it to the right of that hill and gave myself a good look that I was able to knock in.”

As for whether or not you should get free relief from a divot, Scheffler didn’t directly address the issue, but he did say it’s all part of the game.

“Just one of those deals; sometimes you get good and bad breaks. Fortunately, there was still a way I could play the shot, but yeah, I was just in a divot about that big. Pretty deep.”

When you’re as good as he is, you don’t need free relief from anything.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor