LIV Golf players look to make moves Sunday at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tyrrell Hatton didn’t have a low-enough score to move into contention going into the final 18 holes of the Masters. But the Legion XIII star still has plenty to play for Sunday at Augusta National.

Hatton will start the final round tied for 15th after a third-round even-par 72 kept him at 4 under for the tournament. That leaves him seven shots off the lead but just one shot behind the group tied for 12th.

If Hatton can finish inside the top 12, he’ll earn a spot in next year’s Masters.

RELATED: Round 4 tee times for LIV Golf players

That might seem like a consolation prize compared to chasing after the green jacket, but it’s still a significant opportunity, especially since Hatton is the only one of the five LIV Golf players who made the cut this week who isn’t guaranteed a return for 2027. The other four – Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson , Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel – are past Masters champions.

Two years ago, Hatton produced his best Masters result, a tie for ninth that earned him a spot in the 2025 Masters. He’s in the field this week thanks to his tie for fourth at last year’s U.S. Open.

It was a disappointing day for all five LIV Golf players on Saturday, with none being able to break par. While the green jacket is out of reach, at least the pairings turned favorable for the final round.

Hatton, for instance, will play with his fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (12:35 p.m. ET). Johnson will play with fellow American and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (9:50 a.m. ET); both are at 3 over and tied for 44th. Rahm and Garcia, meanwhile, share the same tee time (9:28 a.m. ET) in a twosome in which Spanish will be the primary language. Both are tied for 48th at 5 over.

Schwartzel, meanwhile, will be in the first twosome out on Sunday (9:06 a.m. ET). He plans to continue using a short putter, in which he put in his bag Saturday because he thinks it’s a better option on Augusta National’s greens than his normal long putter.

Plus, no matter where he’s at on the leaderboard, it’s still a workday.

“You always try,” Schwartzel said. “You don’t want to also embarrass yourself. You want to still try to play off decent, but. It’s hard to play when you’re not in contention and you’re just playing at the back of the field. It’s not the best feeling.”

-Mike McAllister, LIV Golf staff

LIV GOLF PLAYER RECAPS, RD. 3

TYRRELL HATTON, LEGION XIII

Rd. 3 score: Even-par 72 (4-under total)

Round 3: Tyrrell Hatton battled through a mixed round featuring two bogeys and two birdies but finished in style by rolling in a 16-foot birdie on the 18th to get back to even par for the day. He heads into the final round at 4 under for the tournament.

DUSTIN JOHNSON, 4ACES GC

Rd. 3 score: 3-over 75 (3-over total)

Round 3: Dustin Johnson carded a 3-over 75 in the third round, struggling to generate momentum throughout the day. The 4Aces GC captain dropped shots at key moments and was unable to mount a charge, leaving himself well back heading into the final round.

JON RAHM, LEGION XIII

Rd. 3 score: 1-over 73 (5-over total)

Round 3: Jon Rahm opened his round with two birdies in his first three holes but couldn’t sustain the early momentum. Bogeys on Nos. 5, 11, and 14 stalled his progress before a birdie on 15 briefly steadied things. But a closing bogey on 18 dropped him to a 1-over 73. He now sits at 5 over for the tournament and remains well off the pace.

"I'll tell you one thing: My putting hasn't been the best and I've been putting the line the last two days which I rarely ever do, right, just to help me a little bit," Rahm said of his putting struggles this week.

SERGIO GARCIA, FIREBALLS GC

Rd. 3 score: 2-over 74 (5-over total)

Round 3: Sergio Garcia posted a 2-over 74 in the third round, undone late by a costly double bogey on No. 6 on the 17th hole. The Fireballs GC captain now sits at 5 over for the tournament.

CHARL SCHWARTZEL, SOUTHERN GUARDS GC

Rd. 3 score: 5-over 77 (9-over total)

Round 3: Charl Schwartzel struggled in the third round, carding a 5-over 77 that included a costly double bogey on the 10th hole. The Southern Guards GC veteran now sits at 9 over for the tournament, dropping further down the leaderboard heading into the final round.

"I think over a career you're going to have a lot more bad luck on this course, or you're going to feel that way," Schwartzel said. "Like I say, I was fortunate to have that one week off where things did go my way."