The Masters: Could Rory McIlroy lose out to chasing pack of Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Scottie Scheffler on Sunday?

“There are seven guys who genuinely have a chance to win tomorrow.”

That’s the assessment of three-time Masters champion Sir Nick Faldo, looking ahead to a thrilling final Sunday at Augusta National, with six players within four shots of co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young.

Stretch that to six shots – the very lead that McIlroy lost on Saturday – and there are 12 players within striking distance of the defending champion and Young.

“I think Rory’s game is just a little inconsistent, as we saw today,” Faldo added, with the defending champion struggling off the tee in particular this week.

“If he can find the switch tonight and correct it, then he’s got a chance to do something special.

“But I’ve got to look at Cam Young, the way he’s just stormed his way through the week after a bad start. He’s obviously got a lot of confidence from winning The Players. There’s less negativity in his game.

“Maybe Shane [Lowry]. Wouldn’t he like to do something. Jason Day has a shot, Justin Rose is on a mission after last year [a third runners-up finish].

“Scottie Scheffler, remember what he did at the Olympics when he was way out of it, so he’s a serious danger man.”

Given Faldo’s assessment, here’s a bit more info on the seven players he possibly sees as the biggest contenders for that Green Jacket on Sunday.

Rory McIlroy (-11)

The defending champion appeared to be storming his way to a successful defence of his Masters title when holding a record 36-hole lead of six strokes at the halfway stage.

That was swiftly cut to two within just a couple of holes as he bogeyed the first to drop back to 11 under – where he’d ultimately end his day – while Patrick Reed recorded three-straight birdies to start his round and sit nine under.

“I knew today wasn’t going to be easy,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “The quality of the chasing pack was very obvious, and a lot of the guys went out and played superb golf.

“I didn’t quite have it today. Even from the first hole, making that sort of soft bogey. I was doing my best to hang on. I scrambled a lot on the front nine.

“I would have wanted to be in a better position going into tomorrow starting with a six-shot lead, but I still have a great chance.

“It’s amazing (to have the opportunity). That was the goal coming in here. I still have a great chance but if I’m going to win tomorrow, I’m going to have to be a little bit better than I was today.”

Reed ultimately fell away to finish six under, but he was far from McIlroy’s only challenger…

Cameron Young (-11)

Crowned The Players champion a month ago, Young is arguably the form man heading into Sunday – and not just because of pulling of that biggest win of his career to date.

Young was four over through the first seven holes of his opening round, meaning he is 15 under par round Augusta National ever since that sputtering start on Thursday.

Also in his favour is the fact that the past two Masters champions – Scheffler and McIlroy – both won at TPC Sawgrass ahead of donning the Green Jacket. An omen, perhaps?

“I like the position I’m in,” Young said, after shooting Saturday’s equal-low round of 65. “If you had said on Thursday at about noon that I was going to be within a couple of the lead going into Sunday, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.”

Sam Burns (-10)

Burns has won five times on the PGA Tour and has twice featured for the USA in the Ryder Cup, but on the majors front he’s still a touch raw, with only two top-10 finishes to his name – both coming in at the US Open in the past two years.

At last year’s US Open at Oakmont, Burns was in the final group holding a one shot lead but badly fell away on the Sunday as he shot 78.

He’ll be in the penultimate pairing at Augusta, but his game held up to scrutiny when in the last group with McIlroy on Saturday as he shot 68 to eat into McIlroy’s advantage and sit just one back from the leaders.

“I feel like I’ve played a really solid round,” Burns said. “Felt like I was patient.

“I’m going to go out tomorrow and just try to execute. 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.”

Shane Lowry (-9)

Hole in one.

That’s where you simply have to start when summarising Lowry’s four-under third round of 68 that has him nine under and only two off the lead – just another ace on Sunday needed to make that up, right?

Lowry holed out at the par-three sixth tee to cue memorable celebrations from the Irishman. And not for the first time. We’ve been here before, at Augusta National in fact, back in 2016 when Lowry aced the 16th in the final round.

Add that to a growing hit list that also includes holes in one on the famous 17th island green at TPC Sawgrass and the seventh at Pebble Beach, among others.

“You don’t ever expect to make a hole-in-one. I just couldn’t believe it,” Lowry said. “Obviously, you’re out there, you’re in the hunt at the Masters and you’re making hole-in-one, it’s pretty cool.

“The walk down the sixth hole with everyone around 16 and the 6th was very special. I’ll remember that for a while.”

A major winner already – a famous triumph at Royal Portrush in 2019 – but how he’d love to add a Green Jacket to his CV, especially considering it would by his great mate McIlroy that would be helping him into it.

Jason Day (-8)

The former world No 1 and 2015 PGA champion somewhat snuck his way onto the top page of the leaderboard with a late surge on Saturday.

Paired with Young, they were the group to watch on the second nine. As the later pushed his way to the front, Day was also doing his bit, birdieing four in a row at holes 12 through 15 to suddenly jump from five under to nine under, before giving one back with bogey at 16 to ever-so-slightly dampen his mood.

“You just got to try and get yourself the opportunity,” Day said. “If you can get somewhere close to the lead on the back side, anything can happen.

“The goal is to try and cut into the lead tomorrow through 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.”

Justin Rose (-8)

Could we be headed for another McIlroy-Rose play-off to decide this year’s Masters, a year on from their memorable face-off down 18 as McIlroy clinched the career Grand Slam?

Perhaps not. But Rose is certainly in the shake-up again, and would prove a popular winner given his near-misses in the past – three runners-up finishes to the Englishman’s name at Augusta National.

Rose has been super steady and consistent through the first three rounds – scores of 70, 69 and 69 – though he’ll likely need to shoot lower to challenge on Sunday.

He’s got it in him. A year ago, Rose carded an astonishing 10 birdies (and four bogeys) in his final round of 66 that forced that play-off with McIlroy.

“There’s more guys to contend with now,” Rose said. “Cam Young; he’s playing great golf. Sam Burns obviously played in the last group and stood up. Shane Lowry; I think he’s a great shot-maker for this golf course.

“There’s a few guys to get through, which is often a lot harder that if it was one guy five ahead.

“It’s going to take a special round tomorrow, so there’s a chance, which is great. I’m going to try to channel a bit of last year and see what happens.”

Scottie Scheffler (-7)

It hasn’t been vintage stuff from Scheffler over the past month or so, having finished outside the top 20 at his last two tournaments – the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players – and he was largely irrelevant again through the first two days at Augusta National, languishing at even par with McIlroy 12 clear.

But the world No 1 came back with a bang on Saturday, carding the joint-low round of 65 along with Young to catapult himself into contention, largely thanks to a birdie streak of four in five holes round the turn, following on from an early eagle at two.

He missed a couple of opportunties over the closing holes to make his day even better, prompting a rather frosty exchange with a reporter who suggested just that post-round, but the two-time Masters champion is well capable of going low again on Sunday to complete the hat-trick.

“I went out and executed to give myself some opportunities,” Scheffler said. “More of that tomorrow, and I think I’ll be in a good spot.”

How can I watch the final day of The Masters?

Live coverage of the final round begins at 4.30pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage getting under way at 5pm and running until long after the final putt has been holes.

The notorious Amen Corner stream will also be available, focusing on the famous three-hole stretch from the 11th, with that Featured Group offering available on the Sky Sports+ channel.

A feed of the fourth, fifth and sixth holes will go live each day as soon as the opening group reach that part of the course and another stream covers the 15th and 16th holes, with Featured Groups also available on Sky Sports+.

Can McIlroy close out victory at The Masters? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 4.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, with extra coverage on Sky Sports+. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.

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