Apr 11, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Cameron Young lines up a putt on the 18th green during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
No other golf tournament provides a greater roller coaster ride of highs and lows than The Masters.
As most know, Saturday is called “moving day” at Augusta because so much can change in the matter of 18 holes. Nothing is safe at Augusta and big leads can turn into deficits on a dime.
What looked like a runaway for defending champion Rory McIlroy will turn into another Sunday nailbiter with as many 20 golfers with a legit chance to win.
Since becoming just the sixth golfer to win the career grand slam, McIlroy was playing with no fear, anxiety or pressure going into this year's tournament. The first two days he played like a man simply flowing from one shot to the next, overcoming poor shots repeatedly. He was consistently inaccurate off the tee but continued to make birdies.
For the first two days, McIlroy failed to hit a fairway on any of the par 5’s, and yet he birdied 7 of 8 to push him up to a record breaking 6-shot lead after 36 holes. The exclamation point was him birdieing six of his last seven holes in the second round including a miraculous chip-in on 17.
It seemed as if destiny was willing him to repeat.
Eventually, though, erratic play catches up with everyone at Augusta, and a player, even a defending champion, must hit fairways and make shots. One average day allows others with exceptional days to work their way back into contention.
After six straight pars, Rory starts off his back nine with a birdie to move two ahead of Cameron Young.pic.twitter.com/GWRfyuBwLr
Similar to a race horse who expels energy early to take a lead, eventually that energy burst fades and the other horses who conserve their energy catch up. On Saturday, McIlroy finally came down to earth like Artemis 2 while everyone else took advantage.
No one took more advantage of McIlroy’s splashdown more than Cameron Young, winner of this year's Players Championship a month ago, and one of the few bright spots for the US Ryder Cup team last year.
Young’s exceptional iron play and timely putting had him go from eight shots back at the start of Round 3 to a one shot lead late in the afternoon and eventually a tie with McIlroy at eleven under par.
No one has been hotter than Young in the last eight months and this could be his opportunity as he thrives under pressure. Also, the last two Master’s champions won the Player’s Championship the month prior. Could Young make it three in a row?
Cameron Young is charging up the leaderboard. He is 5-under through 10 and now T2 @TheMasters.pic.twitter.com/3KyINvjXRj
Sam Burns started the Saturday six shots back and played the most consistent round of all players shooting a boogie free 68 and staying one shot out of the lead.
In the meantime, Irishman Shane Lowery would sink his second hole-in-one at The Masters on number six (the only player ever to get two at the Masters) and vault into the top 5.
Experienced veterans yearning for their second major and first green jacket, Justin Rose and Jason Day are just three shots out of the lead. Rose has been a bridesmaid at Augusta more than any other player, will he be able to leap from the players in front of him and finally win a green jacket?
Then there is the world number one, Scottie Scheffler. He has struggled this season in opening rounds and the first 2 days were no exception. But then Scottie does what Scottie does and shoots an amazing 65 on Saturday to put himself in position to make waves and become the first player to win the Masters three times in his first seven years of competition. It would be a tall task but a solid final round would create pressure on those playing behind him. He is only four shots off the lead and you can never underestimate the power of Scheffler.
Pressure always plays into Sunday at The Masters and pressure puts balls into Rae’s creek on a Sunday at The Masters.
Last year we had a gut wrenching rollercoaster ride of a final round with a duel between McIlroy and Rose. This year promises to provide even more drama with more horses in the race.
Recall that Justin Rose was tied for 6th and seven shots behind going into Sunday last year and he pushed McIlroy into extra holes while everyone else faded.
This year there are 20 players within seven shots of the leaders. Buckle up, anything is possible at Augusta and this should be a Sunday to remember.
