"Never in my wildest dreams" - Scottie Scheffler on witnessing all-time Masters moment

Bubba Watson's 2012 Masters triumph remains one of the most dramatic in the tournament's history, thanks mainly to one unforgettable shot. 

The American, then 33, found himself in a sudden-death playoff against South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen at Augusta National.

Both players made par on the 18th and it looked like Oosthuizen was going to become a two-time major champion after Watson's tee shot sailed into the trees and settled in the pine straw at the 10th. 

With no clear path to the green, Watson somehow conjured a 40-yard hook from 150 yards and found the putting surface.

Two putts later, Watson was sobbing into the arms of his then-caddie Ted Scott after winning his first green jacket. 

Nobody knew it at the time, but a 15-year-old Scottie Scheffler was among the patrons, watching it all unfold. 

"I was here that day," 2026 Masters favourite Scheffler told reporters on Tuesday.

"This tournament is a great experience to come to as a patron, and being able to be up close and see someone accomplish something that I dreamed of accomplishing at the time, I think is very inspirational."

Scheffler hired Scott in late 2021 and together they have won 19 titles together, including four major championships and an Olympic gold medal. 

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought the guy carrying Bubba's bag at the time would be one of my best friends and my caddie for a long time as well," Scheffler said. "Yeah, I think I definitely drew inspiration. 

"This tournament is a great experience to come to as a patron, and being able to be up close and see someone accomplish something that I dreamed of accomplishing at the time, I think is very inspirational. I took a lot from that day and that experience."

Scheffler added: "I grew up on the range at Royal Oaks watching professionals practice. I was fortunate to watch these guys practice, watch how they prepared. 

"I was very fortunate they let me hang around from a young age, so I just watched, I tried to learn. I tried to emulate them, and I always watched, and I felt like I could do the things that they did.

"From a young age, I just continued to try and do it. It's weird, like I believed that I could make it out here, but I never expected it, if that makes sense."

Scheffler insists he is prepared for first men's major

Scheffler insists he feels adequately prepared for the 2026 Masters despite a hectic few days. 

Last week, Scheffler withdrew from the Valero Texas Open ahead of the birth of his second child. 

The Schefflers welcomed another son, Remy, into their family on 27 March. 

"Game feels like it's in a good spot," Scheffler said, adding that he has had plenty of sleep. 

"I got some rest the last few weeks at home. So I feel rested and ready to go this week."

Scheffler said there was no real significance behind the name. Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, both like names ending in i, e or y. 

"We had Bennett first, and we can call him Bennie," Scheffler said. "Remy was a name we liked. No real significance to it.

"We looked on the Internet and found some stuff, but it's quite metaphorical and a stretch for what the name means. I'm not going to share that. I'll probably butcher it if I try, so I'll get back to you on that. It was something that we liked, and that's pretty much it."

When Bennett was born, days before the 2024 PGA Championship, an announcement was made on Scheffler's personal Instagram account. 

But the golfer opted not to share news of Remy's arrival until he bumped into Associated Press reporter Doug Ferguson at Augusta National on Sunday. 

"Yeah, I don't really know how to use Instagram," Scheffler said. 

"So any posts or anything like that, I feel like those things can be a great tool to be able to share certain things about my life, but when it comes to my kids, I want them to have as simple of a life as they can and be able to grow and develop like normal kids the same way I did.

"There's no reason that my kids need to be on TV or on my Instagram or whatever it is. I feel like my kids need to have a normal upbringing or as normal as I can, and we'll go from there.

"Bennett is still two, so the hard parenting hasn't really started yet. It's more bargaining at this point."