The third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament saw plenty action. Everyone tried to chase down Rory McIlroy‘s emphatic six-stroke lead against the field. And in their attempt, some of the pros have hit some magnificent shots. We’re here to list down three of the best strokes played in the penultimate round of the first major of the season.

Scottie Scheffler’s accurate iron play

The first two rounds of the 2026 Masters Tournament didn’t go as Scottie Scheffler had hoped for. He scored a 2-under 70 in the first round. The world #1 went back to zero on Friday after a 2-over 74 put him at even par. He desperately needed a couple of good rounds to get back in contention.

Scheffler kicked things off perfectly on Saturday to give himself a head start. After a great drive off the tee on Pink Dogwood, he had a great view of the green from the fairway. And he took advantage of it by hitting an excellent iron shot.

The two-time Masters Tournament champion found the perfect spot to land on the green. The ball bounced off the short grass a couple of times before rolling five feet away from the hole. That was enough for Scheffler to find an effortless eagle on the par-5 second hole.

Charles Schwartzel almost hits an ace

Playing the par-3 12th hole named Golden Bell, Charles Schwartzel was having a good round so far. He had scored four bogeys, one double bogey, and a birdie by then. So it was vital for him to get a few birdies back on track. And he nearly hit the perfect shot for it.

From the driving range, 155 yards away from the cup, he hit his iron perfectly towards the hole. And his accuracy paid off as the ball struck the lower end of the flagstick. Unfortunately, it didn’t deflect into the hole. The ball bounced off it and onto the green, very close to the cup. Eventually, it rolled far away from the cup, and he was stuck with a two-putter. That made it impossible for him to score a birdie. However, he was able to achieve at least par on it.

Cameron Young’s remarkable chip

Cameron Young must have been deeply impressed by playing alongside Rory McIlroy in the first couple of rounds. It’s not surprising that he almost replicated the Irishman’s wedge shot from round two.

McIlroy had hit an outstanding wedge on the par-4 Nandia that helped him score a birdie. Young was also sitting in the rough on the par-3 Flowering Crab Apple after a poor drive. With the wedge in his hand, he chipped the ball towards the cup. It was so accurate that he ended up sinking the ball from that position. With that, Young ended up scoring his second consecutive birdie.

Interestingly, the hole was ranked the most difficult to score on in the second round. Still in contention for the title, he would hope to score many more of such miraculous strokes to give himself the best shot at wearing the Green Jacket.