Final‑group shocker
Sunday at Augusta is no coronation — Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose are paired in the final group, teeing off at 2:30 p.m. ET, after Saturday erased what had been a runaway for McIlroy. (golf.com) (sports.yahoo.com). McIlroy is the 2025 champion trying to win back‑to‑back green jackets — a feat that would put him among the few who have done it before. (espn.com) (cbssports.com)
Rory McIlroy’s Sunday at Augusta turned from a defense into a chase after his six-shot lead vanished in one round. He will tee off in the final pairing at 2:25 p.m. Eastern with Cameron Young, both at 11-under par. (pgatour.com) McIlroy entered Saturday with the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history, then shot 1-over 73. Young answered with a 7-under 65 to catch him by the end of the third round. (sports.yahoo.com) The leaderboard is packed behind them. Sam Burns starts Sunday alone in third at 10-under, Shane Lowry is fourth at 9-under, and Jason Day and Justin Rose are tied at 8-under. (sports.yahoo.com) McIlroy is trying to become the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. The other three are Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. (sports.yahoo.com) Sunday’s setup matters because Augusta usually rewards the last group. The Masters winner has come from the final pairing every year since 2016, when Danny Willett won from behind. (sportingnews.com) The last hour before the leaders could shape the tournament too. Burns and Lowry tee off at 2:14 p.m. Eastern, and Day and Rose go at 2:03 p.m. Eastern. (pgatour.com) Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and a two-time Masters champion, is still within range at 7-under. He plays with Haotong Li at 1:52 p.m. Eastern. (sports.yahoo.com) (pgatour.com) Television coverage starts at 2 p.m. Eastern on CBS, with streaming beginning at noon on Paramount+ and full simulcasts on Masters.com and the Masters app. NBC Sports said Sunday’s forecast in Augusta is sunny, hot and calm, with a high near 88 degrees and little chance of rain. (nbcsports.com) What looked like a procession on Friday is now an 18-hole test with at least six players close enough to matter. At Augusta, that is the difference between a coronation and a leaderboard that can flip in one stretch. (sports.yahoo.com) (sportingnews.com)
