Scottie Scheffler Gets Right Back Into The Masters With Career Day, And It Could've Been Even Better
Scottie knows he left a few out there, which is scary stuff.
Over the opening 36 holes of the Masters, Scottie Scheffler's game looked disjointed, leaving him unable to put stretches together to pin his name to the front page of the leaderboard. Opening rounds of 70-74 put him in the middle of the pack at even par, and as he began Saturday's third round a stunning 12 shots back of leader Rory McIlroy, getting back into the golf tournament felt impossible, even for a player who has twice slid on a green jacket.
Scheffler starting his third round hours before McIlroy and posting an under-par score, but not really making legitimate noise, was what most in the golf world expected to see on Saturday. Scheffler did post a round under par, but sounded the alarms while doing so.
The fairway wood Scheffler hit from 267 yards into the Par 5 second hole — setting up his second eagle on the hole for the week — was the tone setter for the outward nine he played to perfection.
Scheffler went on to birdie the seventh, eighth, and ninth holes to turn at 5-under on the day and for the tournament, and made it look easy in the process. Positional tee shots, followed by ball-striking at its best, lead to some of the most stress-free birdie putts you’ll find at Augusta National.
Suddenly, it felt (somewhat) doable. The No. 1 player in the world making the turn seven shots back of McIlroy began conversations of "what if?" Then, Scheffler decided to birdie the Par 4 11th, and the conversation got much louder. Sure, McIlroy still had well over an hour before his third-round tee time, and there was always a chance he'd come out and tear the course and the competition limb by limb just as he did on Friday, but there was a glimmer of hope that drama could be on the horizon.
Scottie Scheffler played his way back into the 2026 Masters. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
That drama could, and likely will, still transpire over the next day and a half at Augusta National, and despite being 6-under thru his first 11 holes on Saturday, Scheffler could've taken things even deeper.
With two Par 5s left to play and with Scheffler operating at the level he was, getting to at least 8-under felt guaranteed. Instead, and almost inexplicably, he made par on each of the Par 5s, and the final birdie of his day came at the Par 3 16th.
There is little to nothing to complain about when it comes to a bogey-free round of 65, Scheffler's career-low around Augusta National, but he was well aware he left a couple out there on Saturday.
"Overall could have been — I mean, I guess to answer your question, it wasn't maybe that bad, but it definitely could have been lower. But like I said, I did what I needed to do," Scheffler said following his round. "Went out and executed to give myself some opportunities, and more of that tomorrow, and I think I'll be in a good spot."
Yes, more of that tomorrow, and Scheffler will be in a good spot. Maybe even Butler Cabin putting on a green jacket for the third time in five years.