Five Things to Watch in the Final Round of the Masters

Five Things to Watch in the Final Round of the Masters

The final round of the 88th Masters Tournament won’t lack drama. Not with a past champion and the No. 1-ranked player in the lead. Not with a Masters rookie trying to make history. Not with a couple of big names hoping to capture not just their first Green Jacket but also their first major championship.

Here are the biggest things to watch on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club:

Can Scottie Scheffler be stopped?

Scheffler has the résumé. He’s the top-ranked player in the world. He’s won two of the last three events he has entered; the one he didn’t win, he finished second. He’s a past champion, having won his Green Jacket in 2022. In fact, he’s the only past champion in the top 15 on the leader board. That’s only happened one other time in the last 70 years.

“It’s a good place to be,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I’m starting to make some putts and I’m in a comfortable spot with my game. Yeah, I’m definitely excited about [Sunday].”

What’s his history with the lead? In 10 PGA Tour events in which he has been the 54-hole leader, Scheffler has won four times. He’s had the lead after three rounds once in a major championship. Want to guess which one? How about 2022, here at the Masters? How’d that turn out?

He’s done this before

Scheffler’s closest pursuer isn’t new to this. Collin Morikawa already has won two major championships. He claimed the PGA Championship in 2020 and The Open in 2021.

“If you told me at the beginning of the week I’d be one back heading into Sunday, I would have taken that,” Morikawa said. “You give yourself a chance with 18 holes left, that’s all you can really do and everything that you practice for. Hopefully, it all comes together. But it’s going to be a grind, and I’m looking forward to that.”

Morikawa has three top 20s in four Masters appearances. His best finish was two years ago, when he finished fifth. The winner that year? Scottie Scheffler.

“Look, anything could happen,” Morikawa said.

What he knows for sure is this isn’t a two-man race.

“Looking at the leader board, there’s still quite a handful of guys beneath us, and I think the conditions are going to be pretty mellow for the most part compared to what we’ve seen all week,” Morikawa said.

Collin Morikawa plays his approach on No. 17 during the third round of the 2024 Masters.

David Paul Morris/Augusta National

Who else has a chance?

There are some recognizable names within arm’s reach of the lead. Max Homa, who is ranked 11th in the world and has won six times, is in third place, one behind Morikawa and two behind Scheffler. He is searching for his first major title. What’s he looking forward to on Sunday?

“All of it,” Homa said. “If I catch myself thinking about what could go wrong, I let myself dream about what could go right. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I didn’t know what was going to happen” on Saturday.

“I’m going to remind myself I’m a dog and I’m ready for this moment.”

Bryson DeChambeau is four strokes back. Xander Schauffele, who, like Homa, is chasing his first major, trails by five.

“If I can make some putts Sunday,” DeChambeau said, “I think I can have a good opportunity.”

Will Fuzzy Zoeller finally get company?

It’s been 45 years since Fuzzy Zoeller came to Augusta National and won in his first Masters appearance. No Masters rookie has done it since. Ludvig Åberg has a shot to do it on Sunday. He followed the best round of the day Friday, when he shot 3-under 69, with a solid 2-under 70 on Saturday. He is fourth place, three strokes behind Scheffler.

“Obviously I’m a competitor and I want to win tournaments,” Åberg said. “I feel very fortunate to be in this position and to be here playing golf. I don’t think you should shy away from it. I don’t think you should try to push it away. I try to embrace it, and I try to be okay with all that comes with it, I guess.”

And the Low Amateur is …

Amateur Neal Shipley plays from the No. 5 tee during Monday’s practice round prior to the start of the 2024 Masters.

Joel Marklund/Augusta National

While there is plenty still to be decided on Sunday, one thing is already clear: Neal Shipley will be spending part of his evening in Butler Cabin as the Low Amateur. That was guaranteed on Friday evening, because Shipley was the only amateur to make the cut.

“I was certainly thinking about low [amateur],” he admitted Friday.

No matter what he shoots on Sunday, he’ll be in Butler Cabin to receive the Silver Cup, awarded to the Low Amateur.