Golf at The Masters 2026: McIlroy tied for lead as Sunday looms
Golf at The Masters 2026 turned sharply late on Saturday, with Rory McIlroy finishing tied for the lead after a third round full of swings at Augusta National. The final round begins on Sunday in Eastern Time, and the top of the board remains crowded with Sam Burns, Shane Lowry, Jason Day, Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler and Li Haotong all still in striking distance.
McIlroy fights back after a turbulent day
McIlroy’s round featured birdies, a double bogey and a bogey across the closing stretch, but he still reached Sunday in a share of first place after starting the day with a six-shot second-round advantage. He later went straight to the range at Augusta National to work on several parts of his game, a sign of how quickly the pressure has tightened around the defending champion.
The numbers underline the challenge. McIlroy hit just eight fairways in the third round and has a 50% rate for the tournament, the worst among those left in the field. He also found only 10 of 18 greens in regulation, a combination that has left little margin for error at Augusta National.
Burns and Lowry keep the chase alive
Sam Burns sits at 10-under after a 68, while Shane Lowry is one shot back after matching that score. Jason Day and Justin Rose are both at 8-under, Scottie Scheffler is at 7-under after a 65, Li Haotong is also at 7-under after a 69, and Patrick Reed is at 6-under after a 72.
The leaderboard has produced what the broadcast team called a blockbuster final pairing, with world number two and world number three set to go out at 19: 25 BST, which is 2: 25 PM ET. The field is packed tightly enough that only four shots separate eight players, setting up a Sunday that could shift fast.
Immediate reactions from the clubhouse and commentary
McIlroy said he tried to keep his focus narrow after dropping to two-over for the day through 12 holes. “I kept just thinking, you know, I dropped to two-over for the day after 12. I thought if I can just shoot even par or even under par, that would be great, ” he said. “Didn’t quite get there, but yeah, I stuck to focusing on myself, which is the main thing. ”
The on-air commentary team of Steve Sutcliffe, Paul Higham and Matt Gault also highlighted the scale of the moment, with McIlroy’s late birdie on the 15th pushing him back into the lead before more movement on the closing holes changed the shape of the board again.
What comes next at Augusta National
Sunday begins with the leaders separated by the thinnest of margins, and the pressure will be immediate when the final groups head out in ET. McIlroy’s task is clear: sharpen the driving and iron play that wobbled on Saturday, then hold off a deep and dangerous chasing pack.
For now, golf at The Masters 2026 remains wide open, with the final round set to decide whether McIlroy can survive another tense day at Augusta National or whether one of the contenders behind him will take control.
