Sunday at the Masters: McIlroy, Young and six other players who can win

Are we suffering from deja vu? That's what it feels like entering the final round of the 90th Masters Tournament, mainly because of the man at the top.

Rory McIlroy had the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history entering the weekend — 12 under overall and leading by six shots. By Saturday evening, he had dropped to 11 under and was tied for the co-lead with Cameron Young.

The lowest-ever third round scoring average in Masters history (70.630) saw most of the players in contention take advantage, save for McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, who both shot 1 over for a 73.

Once again, we're faced with a final round pairing featuring McIlroy, and this time, instead of Bryson DeChambeau, it's Young.

So who wins? Well, the last nine Masters champions have come from the final group on Sunday. If you go even further back, only five of the last 35 champions did not play in the final group in the final round.

The last player to win from outside the final group was Danny Willett in 2016; he was in the fourth-to-last group. For the sake of this Masters Sunday cheat sheet, that's where we'll start, because this race feels wide open. Here's a quick look at the top eight players in the mix by pairing.

Final pairing (2:25 p.m. EDT): Rory McIlroy (-11) & Cameron Young (-11)

McIlroy

Saturday snapshot: McIlroy squandered the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history and somehow still holds the co-lead at 11 under despite shooting a 1-over 73. Jack Nicklaus told McIlroy earlier this week that he didn't need any double bogeys. Well, his second shot went in the water at the par-4 11th, and it ended up being his first double of the tournament. There were signs of the previous day's masterful 7-under 65, including a few good putts and approach shots, but McIlroy needs to settle in on Sunday, dial in the driver and remember that he already won a green jacket — something he said he has to remind himself.

What a win would mean: McIlroy would be just the fourth man in Masters history to go back to back, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. Last year, a pressure cooker finally released after nearly 11 years when he finally won at Augusta. Now it's just a question of how many more he can win, cementing him further as one of the greatest players of all time. This would also be his 30th win on Tour.

**Key quote after round three: "**I'd like to think that I'll play a little bit freer and I'll play, you know, like I've already got a green jacket, which I do. Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that, but I think as well that the stakes in terms of, like, the pairing will be just a little bit easier. You know, the atmosphere out there will be a little bit easier. Yeah, I'm not worried about that at all. I wish I was a few shots better off, but I'm comfortable. I played with Cam the first two days. Playing with him again tomorrow. I think it's a comfortable group for both of us."

Young

Saturday snapshot: Young was eight strokes behind McIlroy entering Saturday's round. After carding a 7-under 65, he is the first players in Masters history to overcome a 36-hole deficit of eight or more strokes to have at least a share of the 54-hole lead. That's a stark contrast to his first nine holes of the tournament on Thursday, when Young was 4 over. Tiger Woods (1997) is the only player in Masters history to shoot 40 or higher over the first nine holes in the first round and go on to win. The reigning Players champion had a nearly clean card in the third round, save for a bogey at No. 15. His eight-birdie bonanza started on the par-4 third and was highlighted by a chip-in on No. 4 and a lengthy putt at No. 16 to tie for the lead.

What a win would mean: This would be Young's first major win and third win on Tour. He would also become the third consecutive player to win The Players and go on to win the Masters in the same season, following McIlroy ('25) and Scottie Scheffler ('24).

Key quote after round three: "I don't get the sense I'll be the fan favorite [tomorrow], but yeah, I feel the support. Some fans that cheer for me have gotten louder over the last year. It will still be lopsided, I think. Rory's kind of a world favorite in the golf world. A year ago, if I'd been in the same situation, there would have been very little, and now there's probably a little more. So I'll take what I can get, and I'll be happy with that."

Penultimate pairing (2:14 p.m. EDT): Sam Burns (-10) & Shane Lowry (-9)

Burns

Saturday snapshot: Burns was the only other player besides McIlroy and Young to get to double digits under par on Saturday, but it was a slower burn 4-under 68. While McIlroy seemed to be unraveling, Burns made some gritty par saves and escaped with a clean card. A slow burn isn't bad, but with McIlroy and Young in front of him, and stars like Justin Rose and close friend Scheffler breathing down his neck, Burns will need another round like that — and probably more — to be the last one standing at the end.

What a win would mean: This would be Burns' first major win and sixth win on Tour. He has been winless since the 2023 Match Play — 1,113 days.

Key quote after round three: "I can't control anything anyone else does. I can only control how I carry myself, my attitude, and those are the things I'm going to focus on."

Lowry

Saturday snapshot: Lowry was bolstered by a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth on Saturday — just the seventh in Masters history. He was able to pick up two more shots besides the ace to card a 4-under 68.

What a win would mean: This would be Lowry's second major title, following his win at the 2019 Open. It would also be the second consecutive win for a man from the Emerald Isle. While Lowry represents Ireland, McIlroy represents Northern Ireland. The two are close friends, and Lowry stuck around last year to celebrate McIlroy's triumph. Lowry has won three times on Tour, with the last coming when he paired up with McIlroy for the 2024 Zurich Classic.

Key quote after round three: "Maybe I'm just good (laughing)." — when asked what it is about him and hole-in-ones (he made one on No. 16 during the 2016 final round).

Third-to-last pairing (2:03 p.m. EDT): Jason Day (-8) & Justin Rose (-8)

Day

Saturday snapshot: Day started and ended his third round with bogeys, but in between, six birdies saw him climb the leaderboard to 8 under overall. He was T-8 in 2025 — his best finish since being runner-up in his Masters debut in 2011.

What a win would mean: This would be Day's second major title, following his win at the 2015 PGA Championship. He has won 13 times on Tour, with the last coming at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson.

Key quote after round three: "The goal is to try and cut into the lead tomorrow through [the first] nine, and if I can do that, great. Then get myself somewhere near the lead on the back side and try and give myself opportunities."

Rose

Saturday snapshot: Rose gained three strokes through his Saturday round. It was a clean card featuring a steady three birdies. Any given year at Augusta, a 70-69-69 is a solid start, but a three-stroke deficit to start Sunday means he'll have to adopt Day's philosophy: try to cut into the lead early and then bring it home on the second nine.

What a win would mean: Rose was on the losing end of the Masters playoff a year ago. It's much less talked about, but Rose has also been in a major drought. It's been nearly 13 years since his lone major win at the 2013 U.S. Open. At 45 years old, Rose would be the second-oldest Masters champion in history behind Nicklaus, who was 46, and ahead of Woods, who was 43.

Key quote after round three: "I'm comfortable here, but never complacent here. I feel like there's always something to learn, something to push for. You've always got to respect the golf course. I think we're seeing it this year... You enjoy the experience here Monday to Wednesday, and then I don't think you enjoy another golf shot for the rest of the week, because everything is kind of — there's high risk and high reward on every shot you hit here."

Fourth-to-last pairing (1:52 p.m. EDT): Scottie Scheffler (-8) & Haotong Li (-8)

Scheffler

Saturday snapshot: The world No. 1 started his day even par and went on a tear to finish at 7 under. It took an eagle at No. 2 and five birdies, but newly-minted dad of two Scheffler is firmly in the mix after his round of 65.

What a win would mean: For one, a win would probably absolve the storyline that Scheffler's game is in a slump. This would be his fifth major win and third Masters win in five years ('22, '24). Scheffler won The American Express back in January — his first start of the season — but hasn't been on the same winning tear that he's become known for in his five starts between then and now, although his worst finish is still only T-24. This would also be Tour win No. 21 and, coincidentally, the second time Scheffler has won the Masters the same year he had a child.

Key quote after round three: "I think that's what great players and great competitors do is they're able to rise to the occasion. I think when you look at the biggest tournaments, you'd be hard-pressed to find another tournament that's bigger than this one, especially for myself." Honorable mention: When Scheffler was asked what color he would call the putting surfaces, he said "grass" and laughed.

Li

Saturday snapshot: Li got as low as 9 under at one point in the third round before he went into the water twice — on Nos. 13 and 15. Somehow, he only carded bogeys on both and finished with a 3-under 69, thanks in large part to an eagle on the par-5 eighth.

What a win would mean: Li would be the first Masters champion from China. This would be his first major title, coming less than a year after he finished T-4 at the 2025 Open — his best major finish. Funny enough, he was part of the final round pairing with Scheffler at that tournament, and Scheffler went on to win.

Key quote after round three: "Still battling. Didn't expect actually got such a great result today." — when asked how he was feeling after dealing with stomach issues overnight Thursday and into Friday.