The Masters has reached a tense final stage, and masters day 4 tee times now frame a Sunday built around pressure, opportunity and the kind of narrow margins that can change everything in one round. At Augusta National, Rory McIlroy heads into the last day tied at the top after a ragged third-round 73, while Cameron Young has joined him in the final group and Shane Lowry waits just two shots behind.
What do the Masters Day 4 tee times tell us?
They tell a simple story: the tournament is wide open. McIlroy’s stumble on Saturday opened the door to a cluster of contenders, with eight players separated by four shots. That makes the final round less a procession than a chase, with several players still able to shape the outcome if one of the leaders falters early.
McIlroy and Young will go out together in the final group, a pairing that reflects how quickly momentum shifted at Augusta National. Sam Burns, one shot further back, is in position to pressure from behind, while Shane Lowry will partner Burns in the penultimate group. The shape of the leaderboard means the early holes could matter as much as the closing stretch.
Who can still win on Sunday?
The most immediate contenders sit near the top, but the range of possibilities is broader than that. McIlroy and Young are tied on 11 under, Burns is at 10 under, and Lowry is on 9 under. Jason Day and Justin Rose are both on 8 under, while Scottie Scheffler and Li Haotong are on 7 under. Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Reed remain within striking range at 6 under.
That depth is why the day feels unpredictable. Scheffler, the world number one, has already shown enough to suggest a serious closing push is possible. Rose, meanwhile, kept his hopes alive with a bogey-free 69 on Saturday and is chasing a first Green Jacket at his 21st attempt after three previous runner-up finishes. Lowry and Day each have a solitary major title and now have a chance to add a second in a field that is still compressing around the leaders.
What is at stake for McIlroy and Lowry?
For McIlroy, the task is not only to defend a lead but to steady himself after a round that loosened his grip on the tournament. He said he would need to be better if he wanted a chance to win, and added that he hoped to play a little freer on Sunday. That mix of urgency and restraint is central to the final-day picture: he is still tied for the best score, but the margin for error has vanished.
Lowry’s position is different, but no less meaningful. He sits close enough to benefit from a fast start, and his place in the penultimate group gives him a direct view of the pressure building ahead of him. In a tournament where a single round has already rewritten the leaderboard, that is enough to keep belief alive.
Which pairings will shape the final round?
The confirmed final-round groupings set the rhythm for the afternoon. McIlroy and Young lead the way, with Burns and Lowry next. Just behind them, Rose and Day remain close enough to punish any hesitation. Scheffler and Li Haotong are also in the frame, and their pairing adds another layer to a leaderboard that feels stacked rather than settled.
Further down, the field still carries competitive weight. Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood are among those listed at 1735 ET, while Aaron Rai and Charl Schwartzel are set for 1406 ET. The spread of times underlines how many different races are running at once: one for the lead, one for position, and one for relevance.
By the time the leaders reach the closing holes, the day may already have turned. Or it may still be waiting for one more swing to decide it. That is the promise of masters day 4 tee times at Augusta National: a Sunday where the opening groups can matter, the final pair can unravel, and the green jacket may be won by the player who stays calm longest.
