AUGUSTA — Well, let’s start here:
The 2026 Masters was really good.
Rory McIlroy sprinted to a six-shot 36-hole lead, lost all of it on Saturday and then rallied on the back nine on Sunday to eventually claim a one-shot win and a repeat title at Augusta.
He hit two shots that will be added to Augusta lore: his tee shot on the 155-yard par-3 12th to 7 feet, which was the closest any player in the field got to that pin on Sunday. He drilled the birdie putt to reclaim the lead. And he launched a 350-yard rocket on the par-5 13th which led to another birdie that ultimately gave him just enough of a cushion to close it out.
Those were the best moments. But of course, there were also good, bad and ugly moments on Masters Sunday as well. They are:
GOOD: Collin Morikawa’s gutsy performance
You could see the wince every time Colin Morikawa swung his golf club on Sunday. Every time he had to remove his ball from the cup. Every time he had to walk to the next hole.
The two-time major champion fought through a lower-back injury that caused him to withdraw from The Players Championship and the Valero Texas Open. Still, Morikawa had a few reasons to smile after his 4-under round of 68, good enough for a tie for seventh place.
Morikawa’s round included five consecutive birdies on the second nine, from nos. 12–16. If he had been healthy, who knows how good his Masters could have been. —John Pluym
BAD: Jason Day’s fade
Day entered Sunday in the third-to-last group and paired alongside Justin Rose. But he bogeyed 5, doubled 7 and faded off the screen. This was a good opportunity to get into the Sunday mix. Instead he was a spectator to Rose’s run. —Jeff Ritter
UGLY: Shane Lowry’s power fade
There were times this week when it seemed like fate might be smiling on Lowry, including his incredible ace on the 6th hole on Saturday. But Sunday at Augusta is nothing like Saturday at Augusta. Lowry bogeyed his first hole and doubled 5 after getting too aggressive in the treacherous fairway bunker, where his approach shot slammed into the face and kicked out sideways. Ugh.
—Jeff Ritter
Oh no Shane. A costly error in the bunker sees Lowry card a double bogey on the fifth.
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) April 12, 2026
He's six shots off the lead after a poor start.pic.twitter.com/q8rOfkps4g
GOOD: Max Homa earns a return trip
Homa has had his share of troubles in recent years, but he manages to put up good performances at the Masters. Last year it was a tie for 10th, which meant a return trip this year via an invite category for anyone who finishes in the top 12 and ties. It was the only category under which he qualified. After a 67 on Sunday, Homa has earned his way back to Augusta National next year, finishing at 8 under, in a ninth-place tie. —Bob Harig
BAD: Sam Burns falls out fast
Ready to strike from the second-to-last group, Sam Burns jumped out with a birdie the first hole Sunday. But he made a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 2nd after an errant drive into the woods requiring a drop, an immediate rally killer, then bogeyed the third. He didn’t make another birdie until the 13th but by then he was well out of the title picture.
UGLY: Haotong Li’s 12th and 13th holes
While Scottie Scheffler had his sights on Rory McIlroy, Li had his on staying out of trouble. It didn’t work. Li made triple bogey on the 12th. On the 13th, he hooked his tee shot into the azaleas. While he spent time trying to find his ball, Scheffler walked up to the green twice, trying to figure out where he was going to hit his next shot. Li eventually finished the hole, taking a quintuple bogey. Ugly, indeed. —John Pluym
GOOD: Viktor Hovland, Keegan Bradley birdie barrages
Viktor Hovland started his final round at 1 over par but finished with a flurry of birdies, at Nos. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13. He had made a mini-move, getting to 6 under, before a double bogey on the 15th took away his momentum. He quickly rebounded with another birdie on the 16th before closing with a bogey on the 18th. Despite the setbacks, it was an impressive 18 holes for one of the best young players in the game.
Meanwhile, one of the best veteran players in golf also turned in an impressive performance. Keegan Bradley matched Hovland’s eight birdies on Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16 and 18. The only blemishes on the card were bogeys at 10 and 11. The former Ryder Cup captain finished with 19 birdies over the four rounds, but 12 bogeys and a pair of doubles cost him. —John Pluym
BAD: McIlroy’s double bogey at No. 4
If McIlroy needed a wakeup call during his final round, he definitely got it on the 4th, three-putting the 250-yard-plus hole after missing the green left. He also made a bogey two holes later, but it didn’t seem to matter. McIlroy turned around his day with birdies on Nos. 7, 8, 12 and 13. Now he’s a two-time Masters champion, with six major championships. Now, it seems to be all about his legacy. —John Pluym
UGLY: Sergio Garcia’s pathetic, petulant behavior
The 2017 Masters champion hadn’t had a great week, but he made the cut and had a friendly Sunday morning pairing with fellow former champ, Spaniard and LIV’er Jon Rahm. And it took two holes for him to completely unravel, spiking his driver into the 2nd tee box after a poor drive and then attacking a cooler, breaking the club. He was given a conduct warning on the 4th hole by greencoat Geoff Yang, the Masters competition committee chairman, a most unusual sight at Augusta National. Asked what was said, Garcia twice blew off the question rather than simply use the opportunity to apologize, which seems the least he could have done.
If an amateur had such an outburst he might not have seen the 2nd green—so why is this tolerated from a veteran player, never mind a past champ? —John Schwarb, Bob Harig
More Masters Coverage from Sports Illustrated
- Scottie Scheffler Will Be Thinking a Lot About This One Brutal Break Late at the Masters
- Rory McIlroy’s Masters Win Was More Special This Year for One Emotional Reason
- 2026 Masters Final Payouts: Rory McIlroy Wins $4.5 Million and a Green Jacket
- Here's How the 2026 Masters Would Be Decided in a Playoff
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Good, Bad and Ugly Masters Round 4: Rory McIlroy Repeats As Challengers Fade.
