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260409 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the first round of the 2026 Masters Golf Tournament on April 9, 2026 in Augusta. Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRAN / kod PA / PA1193 golf masters bbeng the masters augusta *** 260409 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the first round of the 2026 Masters Golf Tournament on April 9, 2026 in Augusta Photo Petter Arvidson BILDBYRAN kod PA PA1193 golf masters bbeng the masters augusta PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxSWExNORxFINxDEN Copyright: PETTERxARVIDSON BB260409PA218
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260409 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the first round of the 2026 Masters Golf Tournament on April 9, 2026 in Augusta. Photo: Petter Arvidson / BILDBYRAN / kod PA / PA1193 golf masters bbeng the masters augusta *** 260409 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the first round of the 2026 Masters Golf Tournament on April 9, 2026 in Augusta Photo Petter Arvidson BILDBYRAN kod PA PA1193 golf masters bbeng the masters augusta PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxSWExNORxFINxDEN Copyright: PETTERxARVIDSON BB260409PA218
Augusta has a way of shifting momentum without warning. Rory McIlroy felt that shift on Saturday, and by the time the dust settled, John Daly had already decided the defending champion would not be winning this one.
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When asked who would win on Sunday, “I think it’s Scheffler,” John Daly said.
Though Daly doesn’t think McIlroy can win at Augusta this time, after the 2025 Ryder Cup, he couldn’t help but praise his grit and game. He was amazed to see how thefans’ abuse didn’t get to McIlroy’s head, and even called him a “gentleman.”
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Back in February 2026, when HardRock Bet asked him to compare the two players’ 2025 seasons, Daly said, “I’d have to go with Scottie. Scottie’s won a few more, and then he won two majors this year. You have to go with Scottie.”
This backing comes with good numbers, though. Scheffler’s third round at Augusta was one of the best rounds of the week. He carded a 7-under 65, picking up an eagle at the par-5 second and five birdies, all without a single bogey. His tournament stats back the performance up, too: 78.6% driving accuracy, 68.5% greens in regulation, two eagles, and eight birdies through 54 holes. He went from 12 strokes behind McIlroy to seven, doing it in the early wave before the leaders even teed off.
Meanwhile, McIlroy held a six-shot lead entering Saturday, struggled to match that energy. He carded a 1-over-73, and it threatened the cushion he had built across rounds of 67 and 65. His tournament statistics present a contrasting narrative to Scheffler’s: he achieved only 50% driving accuracy, recorded no eagles, and incurred six bogeys over three rounds. Still, at 11-under and tied atop the leaderboard with Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy remained in the hunt.
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After his round, Rors acknowledged the difficulty.
“I knew today wasn’t going to be easy,” Rory McIlroy told Sky Sports Golf. “The quality of the chasing pack was very obvious, and the guys early on played superb golf, starting with Scottie and Cam.”
Standing over his tee shot on the par-3 sixth, the roars from hole 16 nearby stopped him mid-routine. Scheffler had just rolled in another birdie, close enough for McIlroy to hear every cheer. He backed away, reset, and tried to refocus.
He added that he still felt confident going into Sunday. “I am in the final group, which is exactly where you want to be. I wish I had a bit more of a cushion. But I am going to go to the range here, try to figure it out, and go again tomorrow.”
The #1, for his part, was measured but confident after his round. “I put myself in position,” he said on CBS. “It’s just a matter of getting the job done.”
What makes that statement weighty is context: his three previous major wins all came after he led through 54 holes. Coming from behind in a final round to win a major would be something Scheffler has never done before, and yet he is positioned as the biggest threat to McIlroy on the biggest stage in golf.
The storyline heading into Sunday’s final round could not have been written better. Rory McIlroy, the defending champion chasing back-to-back green jackets, leads by a slender margin. Scheffler, the man John Daly is picking, sits at T7 on 7 under, seven back, with a round fresh in his legs that screamed intent. If Augusta’s moving day sets the table, Sunday is when the meal will get served.
Scheffler’s golf did the talking on Saturday, but it was his words in the post-round press conference that gave the clearest picture of where his head was at heading into the final round.
Scottie Scheffler shuts down reporter with blunt response
When a reporter asked Scheffler what his round “could or should have been,” he did not entertain it. “That’s just a terrible question. Next question. Awful.”
Scheffler opened up when the questions turned to his real golf. He lauded his iron play and explained his bogey-free back nine after going 5-under on the front.
Then came the putting surface question. A reporter asked about the color of the greens, and Scheffler, already stretched thin by the press room, responded with dry sarcasm. “Grass. I already ripped on one question that wasn’t that bad, so I’m not going to rip on another one.” The room laughed, but his frustration was real.
The broader picture was clear. Scheffler wasn’t mad at the media for no reason. He was seven shots behind the leader with one round to go, and his performance needed to be looked at closely. At that moment, pointless questions felt like a distraction he just couldn’t handle.
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal