Scottie Scheffler charges into contention with career-low Masters round after early struggles

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Scottie Scheffler began the third round of the 2026 Masters sitting 12 shots back of 36-hole leader Rory McIlroy, putting the two-time green jacket holder outside the conversation of contenders entering the weekend. When he walked off the 18th green on Saturday, he was only five shots off the pace after carding his lowest career round at the Masters with a 7-under 65.

Suddenly, Scheffler finds himself firmly in contention heading into Sunday's final round, yet as incredible as his Moving Day effort was to witness, it could have -- and perhaps should have -- been even better.

As Scheffler explained after signing his scorecard, his 65 was about the worst score he could have registered after one of the great ball-striking rounds anyone will ever produce at Augusta National. 

"I didn't fix anything. [Friday], I felt like I played a lot better than my score. And then today, early in the round, I got a lot out of it, and then on the [second] nine, I did a lot of really good things and didn't feel like I got the reward for it," Scheffler said. "Feel like I left a few shots out there, but overall, it was a good day. We'll see what happens this afternoon, but yeah, I don't feel like I'm out of the tournament. So, it's good to kinda put myself back in position."

Scheffler made an early move that raised some eyebrows with an eagle on No. 2 and birdie on No. 3 -- the same way he started his first round before stalling out. This time Scheffler was able to keep his foot on the gas, picking up three birdies in a row to close out his first nine, going out in 31 to send the patrons at Augusta National into a frenzy after nearly holing out from the fairway on No. 9. 

On the 10th, he threw another dart to 8 feet, but slid the birdie putt just by on the edge to halt his birdie streak at three. He picked right back up on the 11th with another near-perfect approach, leaving an uphill birdie putt that he converted to reach 6 under -- before he had even gotten to the best scoring opportunities on the second nine. 

Another terrific tee shot on No. 12 left him 18 feet for birdie, but another putt went begging and he strode to the par-5 13th at 6 under for his round and the tournament. 

The par 5s at Augusta National have always been pivotal, especially those on the second side. After a tremendous drive on the 13th, Scheffler had just 205 yards in but pulled an iron into the first of the two greenside bunkers on the left side of the green, failing to get up-and-down for birdie. 

On the 14th, he hit another approach to inside 15 feet, this time with an amazing shot from the first cut, but caught the lip on the high side to leave another shot on the floor. He pumped a drive down the 15th, but carried his second shot too deep into the green, bounding over and leaving an incredibly challenging up-and-down that he again couldn't convert. 

Scheffler has now failed to make a birdie on the two par-5s on the second nine this week across six attempts, which is a jarring statistic for a player who has typically picked those two holes apart. He explained what happened on his two approaches with irons in hand that didn't find the green on Saturday, feeling he just got a pair of unlucky brekas. 

"I hit the fairway on 13 and got a mudball. Not much I could do there other than try to get up there somewhere around the green," Scheffler said. "I had a 6 iron in my hand, so that's a scoring club, so you get mud on the ball, there's not much you can do. That's a bad break.

"Then today, going into 15, I hit a really nice shot, caught a little gust downwind, and fortunately, today, it didn't airmail the green -- it landed pretty close to pin high and took a big bounce. Couple good shots from there, but overall, yeah, putting myself in position but just a matter of getting the job done." 

On the 16th, he finally converted a birdie putt after getting it onto the proper shelf, still below the hole. Scheffler rolled that in before a sea of patrons, as his pairing on No. 16 and McIlroy's pairing on No. 6 converged on that same corner of the course to bring the game's two biggest stars together briefly. 

After finally seeing a putt drop, Scheffler put together another fantastic drive and approach on the 17th, but once again pushed an 8-footer off the high side and walked off with a disappointing par. 

On the 18th, he hooked a drive into the trees left, but chopped out and threw one final dart at the back right hole location with a wedge from 105 yards, leaving himself a tap-in from six inches for par to post 65. 

That is the low round of the tournament, but it was the kind of ball-striking round that was worthy of more history at Augusta National. The lowest round in Masters history is a 9-under 63, and that was certainly within range for Scheffler on Saturday, given the opportunities that slid by on the greens. 

Considering where he started his round, being in the top 10 by the end of the day would be a monumental accomplishment, and it seems that's where he's headed. However, Scheffler's Masters career won't be defined by top-10 finishes but instead by how many green jackets he acquires.

After a rough Friday 74, he didn't look like a threat to make history as the fourth player to win three green jackets in a five-year span, but his play on Saturday was a reminder of how exceptional he is as a golfer -- particularly at this golf course. 

By the end of his career, Scheffler's name will be found throughout the Masters record books, but Saturday presented a real chance to put his name on the tournament record. 

That may have been necessary to have a legitimate chance at a third green jacket, and for as incredibly as he played in his third round, he'll be left to wonder what could've been on a special Saturday in Augusta.