Rory McIlroy can blow this Masters, win it, or there's another option | Opinion

Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAYSun, April 12, 2026 at 10:04 AM UTC

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Rory McIlroy can blow this Masters, win it, or there's another option | Opinion

AUGUSTA, GA – Rory McIlroy didn’t lose this tournament on moving day.

Whatever else you might say about the defending champion’s third round at the Masters — and, there’s plenty to say — he didn’t go full Greg Norman. Or, let’s give the Shark a break and put it a different way: McIlroy didn’t go full Rory 2011 mode. That year, he carded an 80 on Sunday to go from first to 15th.

So, perspective is necessary here, folks.

McIlroy’s 1-over 73 in Round 3 wasn’t a meltdown. It sure wasn’t a clincher, either.

This 73 became an invitation for a white-knuckle Sunday, when it otherwise could’ve been a victory lap if McIlroy had gone low and put this thing away.

Call this round a wobble, and a dangerous one, especially when paired with Cameron Young’s 7-under 65 birdie-storm, Scottie Scheffler’s how-do-you-do 65, and Sam Burns’ don’t-forget-about-me 68.

“I still have a great chance,” McIlroy said after a round with four birdies, three bogeys and his first and only double bogey of the tournament. “I'm in the final group.”

McIlroy will either need to straighten out his driver and hone in his irons, or revive his hot putter. His putt total went from 24 on Friday to 30 on Saturday.

1 / 0Rory McIlroy let 6‑stroke Masters lead slip away still co‑leader

The weekend arrives with the leaderboard tightening and pressure rising at Augusta National.These images follow Rory McIlroy as he begins Saturday in the hunt at the Masters.Above, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lines up a putt on the 14th green during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Georgia.

Rory McIlroy still just one round away from Masters legend status

This tournament can go one of two ways. If McIlroy cards another round like his roller-coaster moving day, we’ll remember this as another Masters disaster for Rors. Call it the final leg of the trilogy that started in 2011 and renewed in 2018.

If he pulls this out, though, nobody’s going to leave Sunday talking about McIlroy’s shot that bounced into the water on No. 11, or his six drives that missed the fairway in Round 3, or his shot that missed the green on No. 12, the shortest par-3.

If he wins this tournament, his legacy will be elevated. He's already got a spot in the champions parking lot here. If he wins a second time at Augusta, he becomes a Masters legend. He’d be only the fourth player to go back-to-back.

They already love him here. Truly, they do. Now, they’re aching to exalt him. Young knows it.

Young is the American in hot pursuit of his first major championship. McIlroy’s the North Irishman within reach of his sixth major, but this isn’t the Ryder Cup, and the galleries adore Rors at Augusta National, just as he loves every blade of grass on this more than 7,500-yard track, especially when he’s posting scores as he did through two rounds.

“I don't get the sense I'll be the fan favorite,” Young admitted after carding 65, “but, yeah, I feel like the support, some fans that cheer for me have gotten louder over the last year. It will still be lopsided, I think. Rory's kind of a world favorite in the golf world.”

Rory runaway turns into Sunday brawl at Augusta

It’s not as simple as McIlroy wins it or McIlroy blows it, because Young might just steal it. If he puts another 65 on the board, he’s almost certainly going to win this.

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“There’s a lot of guys in with a chance,” McIlroy said.

That’s the brass tacks, the upshot of Round 3.

At the tournament’s midpoint, it was a Rory runaway. Now, it’s a brawl.

Can a 6-foot-3 world No. 1 hide as a snake in the grass? Probably not, but here’s Scottie Scheffler hovering four shots off the lead. In fact, the top of the leaderboard is a who’s who of golf, with known names like Shane Lowry, Jason Day and Justin Rose right in the thick of it.

1 / 0Track Scottie Scheffler’s climb up the Masters leaderboard on Day 3

Scottie Scheffler moves up the leaderboard during a strong moving day at the Masters Tournament.

These images follow Scheffler through the third round at Augusta National.

Above, Scottie Scheffler of the United States prepares to putt on the 15th green during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Georgia.

Eight players will enter the final round within four shots of the lead, after a moving day that started with McIlroy six shots clear of the rest of the field.

McIlroy could’ve lost this tournament. He was on the brink of a collapse after Amen Corner exacted its pound of flesh, but then he put two more birdies on the card.

When McIlroy finished with a post-round interview, he headed to the driving range in need of a tune-up.

Probably a smart move, after a shaky round, but another pitstop might’ve benefited McIlroy even more.

Inside the clubhouse's Champions Locker Room, there’s a stall with McIlroy’s name on it.

Yes, he can blow this. He’s done that before.

Or, he can win this tournament. He’s done that before, too.

“I’ve already got a green jacket,” McIlroy said. “Sometimes, I’ve just got to remind myself of that.”

He’s a Masters champion. On Sunday, he must play like one.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rory McIlroy's Masters missteps set up Sunday brawl

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