“It takes a village to succeed at the Masters,” the tournament’s official X page recently shared, and they’re definitely onto something. When Tiger Woods stormed through golf’s gates with a power none of us had ever seen, he always had his mother, Kultida, watching—sometimes from behind those famous black shades, always with the unshakeable presence of someone who believed in greatness before the world caught up. Tiger has long credited his parents for shaping the talent within: Earl and Kultida, the enforcer with an eye for “power colors” and mental steel. That same blueprint? You’ll find it in the Scheffler household.

For Scottie Scheffler, that village is tight-knit, full of quiet fire, and just happens to be led by three incredible women. On Sunday, the world No. 1 teed it up with his mother, Diane, for a sun-soaked practice round at Augusta National—and while that might sound like a sweet family moment, for those who’ve followed Scheffler’s journey, it was a thunderclap of emotional symmetry.

Over the last three years, Scottie’s practice-round invites have gone to his sisters, Callie and Molly, and now his mother, Diane. Three women for three consecutive years. Coincidence? Not even close. Back in 2022, Callie Paysee, who once starred on the Texas A&M golf team, teared up when she got the nod. Scottie had written her a handwritten note—just a few lines, but they meant the world. Molly, who now works in the PGA Tour’s comms department, got her turn in 2024. And now, the family matriarch walked Augusta, clubs in hand, soaking in every inch of her son’s domain.

“For Scottie Scheffler, three important women make up the core of his support system,” the tournament’s page shared, accompanied by a heartwarming photo of Scheffler and Diane on the course.

Rocky Hambric, whose over 40-year-old management company has handled Scheffler since he turned pro, gave more insight about Scheffler’s family. In an exclusive interview for the Masters, he insisted it’s “a classic statement about the Scheffler family.” He added, “These are really strong-willed women and they weren’t ever going to put Scottie on a pedestal,” revealing a lot about Scheffler’s dedicated and humble nature.

When met with the suggestion that the male-dominated golf world might have been outside Diane’s comfort zone, Hambric laughed. “You want to know what she did for work – she was the COO of large law firms, in New York, then Dallas. You want to know what the job was? She managed 50 partners and 50 egos.”

“Yeah, Scottie gets a lot of his competitive fire from Diane,” Hambric revealed further, fondly. Scheffler is a firecracker in slacks, and much like Tiger, he’s the product of a system that believed in him long before the trophies rolled in.

And if you think it’s just talent that separates these guys, think again. Whether it’s taking out second mortgages (as the Woods family did) or working late hours managing law firms, greatness always leaves a paper trail of sacrifice. “That’s just who he is,” shared Paysee after receiving her brother’s heartfelt invite. “He’s never forgotten where he’s from and all the sacrifices that were made.” Much like his predecessors, Scheffler’s journey to the top has been shaped by the sacrifices of those closest to him, and now, with the Masters on the horizon, his efforts are about to be tested on golf’s biggest stage, for the third time.

Scheffler’s shot at making history

Scottie Scheffler is currently favored at +450 to win the Masters at BetMGM, with Rory McIlroy close behind at +650. After a stellar 2024 campaign with nine wins, including an Olympic gold and the FedEx Cup title, Scheffler is trending upward despite a slow start to 2025 due to offseason hand surgery. His emotional struggles were evident early in the season, but he rebounded with a share of second place at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, giving him momentum heading into the Masters.

As the two-time defending champion, Scheffler, isn’t just looking to defend his title; he’s gunning for a third green jacket in four years, a feat that would cement his legacy alongside golf’s greatest legends.

It’s not lost on anyone that if Scheffler pulls off another green jacket this Sunday, he enters some very exclusive company: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. That’s the list of players who’ve ever gone back-to-back at Augusta. No pressure, right?

But if you watched that Sunday practice round—saw the smile he gave his mom, the ease in his stride—you wouldn’t think he was carrying the weight of history. You’d think he was home. Because in a way, he was.