AUGUSTA, Ga. The gate was wide open for Scottie Scheffler throughout the day, yet he found himself unable to capitalize on the opportunities that arose during the third round of the Masters. As the defending champion, Scheffler arrived at Augusta National with the aspiration of securing his third green jacket in just four years, a feat only achieved by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. However, after a round of play that left him seven shots adrift of the leader, Rory McIlroy, his dreams of joining that elite club were drastically complicated.

On Saturday, Scheffler struggled to find his rhythm on the course, leaving him with insufficient birdie chances. The majority of his day was spent in a frantic scramble just to save par. In fact, his even-par 72 could have easily been much worse, and he finished the round at 5-under 211 for the tournament.

Reflecting on his performance, Scheffler shared, At times I felt good, at times I felt bad. I just couldnt really get anything going. I had to scramble a lot today, actually. I got off to a good start with a birdie on No. 2, but after that I didnt really feel like I gave myself enough opportunities, and the opportunities that I did have, I didnt really quite take advantage of.

Despite the considerable gap between himself and the leader, a comeback for Scheffler is not entirely out of the question. The Masters has a storied history of dramatic final-round turnarounds. For instance, back in 1956, Jack Burke Jr., a seasoned pro who had not won a tournament in three years, found himself trailing leader Ken Venturi by eight strokes at the start of the last round. In a stunning performance, Burke shot a 71 while Venturi faltered with an 80, ultimately leading Burke to victory.

As it stands, Scheffler is currently tied for seventh place and would need an extraordinary final roundlikely better than his personal best of 66 at Augusta Nationalto have a chance at winning. This scenario would also require others, including McIlroy, to experience an unexpected collapse. McIlroy has shown remarkable focus and determination this week, keen on breaking a decade-long drought in major tournaments while aiming to complete the prestigious career Grand Slam.

McIlroy began the day with an impressive streak of six consecutive birdies, propelling him to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 66. While acknowledging the steep challenge ahead, Scheffler remained steadfast about his game plan for the final day. There is a school of thought when it comes to that, but when I think about last year, I had two significant comebacks, one at The Players Championship and one at the Olympics, he noted. Did I press or force things? Did I play more aggressively? Not really. I just gave myself the most opportunities and hit a lot of good shots while making some putts.

With a determined attitude, the 28-year-old headed to the practice range post-round. Im going to go hit a few balls tonight, see if I can get a good feel going into tomorrow and then you never know, Scheffler concluded, embodying the spirit of resilience that characterizes the Masters tournament.