Good, Bad and Ugly Masters Round 3: Rory Struggles, and This Masters Is Wide Open

AUGUSTA — Moving day at Augusta could’ve been rebranded as “Wild Swings Day” as players made dramatic moves up and down the board all afternoon under idyllic conditions at Augusta National.

When the dust finally settled, Rory McIlroy signed for a one-over 73 and is tied with Cam Young, whom he played with during the opening two rounds this week. Young and Scottie Scheffler (T7) both shot 65s.

So buckle up and get ready for a thrilling Sunday. Here’s how it went down in Round 3.

GOOD: Shane Lowry, king of aces

Stop me if you heard this one: Shane Lowry made an ace on an iconic golf hole, this time the 6th at Augusta. The Irishman aced the 16th hole in the final round here in 2016, and on Sunday he became the first player in Masters history with two holes-in-one in his career. Also on Lowry’s ace resume: the 7th hole at Pebble Beach in 2025 and the 17th at TPC Sawgrass in 2022. —Jeff Ritter

BAD: Rory gives it all back

Look, Rory McIlroy could easily shoot his second 65 in three days Sunday to slam the door, take the green jacket from Chairman Ridley and no one will rehash a dud of a third round. But sitting here on Saturday night, the dud 1-over 73 is the story. The defending champ had another poor round off the tee and has only hit half his fairways through three days, worst among everyone still playing, and Amen Corner was his undoing Saturday. Only one player could turn this Masters into a Sunday shootout, and he did it. —John Schwarb

UGLY: McIlroy’s 11th hole

McIlroy held it together for most of his first 10 holes, but on 11, he over-drew his approach, which landed on the front part of the green and bounded into the water. He hit a nice pitch from the drop zone but then blew the 3-foot bogey-saver. And suddenly, the 2026 Masters was wide open. —Jeff Ritter

GOOD: Scheffler’s career best

Oh, I’m sorry—did you think the world’s best player and two-time Masters champion was just going to fade away this weekend? Scott Scheffler has arrived, and he’s in the Sunday conversation after firing a 7-under 65, a career-best at Augusta. After scuffling through his first 36 holes in even par, he’s in striking distance for green jacket No. 3. —Jeff Ritter

BAD: Cam Young’s wedge shot on 15

Young was the hottest player on the golf course for a long stretch on Saturday afternoon. But one loose wedge shot, which he left short on the 15th hole and saw trickle back into the creek, was his only blemish. He got up-and-down for a bogey, and that one mistake is the only reason he isn’t the solo leader heading into Sunday.. —Jeff Ritter

UGLY: Haotong Li skulls one into the creek on 15

Young’s wedge shot was bad, but Li’s shot was relatable for your average player trying to hit a long iron off a tight lie and elevated stance. —Jeff Ritter

Haotong Li is one of us,
but at The Masters. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/mCeGswCska
— james hunter (@jimhunterb1) April 11, 2026

GOOD: Sam Burns steps up

A Saturday final pairing of the defending champ leading by six and a man without a major felt like a mismatch, but Burns more than held his own with a bogey-free 4-under 68 that leaves him trailing McIlroy and Cam Young by just one shot. From the penultimate group Sunday, with how he rolls it, Burns could absolutely add his name to the list of men to win their first major at the Masters. —John Schwarb

BAD: Patrick Reed falls back

The 2018 Masters champion birdied his first three holes Saturday and looked like he wanted a starring role in this weekend’s show, but he promptly bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5 and never got the mojo back. A closing bogey left him at even par for the round, five back for the tournament, on a day where Augusta National was surprisingly ripe for the taking. — John Schwarb

UGLY: Keegan Bradley rinses one at 13

Keegan Bradley is one of the most streaky players I’ve ever seen, and he didn’t disappoint during the third round.

After beginning his day at 2-over par, Bradley made bogeys on Nos. 1 and 4 to fall to 4 over. And then Bradley did what he does best: He reeled off four consecutive birdies on Nos. 6–9 to pull to even par for the tournament, good enough for 15th place.

And then he was bitten by the Rae’s Creek Gods. Facing a 200-yard-plus third shot on the par-5 13th, he dunked his ball into the tributary, taking a double-bogey 7 to fall back to 2 over.

If the 2025 Ryder Cup captain could have found some consistent play this week, he might have been in contention. —John Pluym