What Is ‘Moving Day’ At The Masters And How Important Is It To The Final Outcome?

If you watch coverage of the Masters over the next few days you might hear commentators mention the term ‘Moving Day’, and here SportsCasting explains what it is and why they call it Moving Day.

Why Do They Call It Moving Day?

‘Moving Day’ is another name given to the third round of a golf tournament – which typically falls on a Saturday.

The third round often provides some of the most exciting action across the Masters week and commentators call it Moving Day as it is the day where golfers move up and down the rankings to try and set themselves up for the final day.

Leaders often go into Moving Day hoping to consolidate their position. However, others play a risky game to try and climb their way into contention after a slow start over the first two days.

However, others might fall out of contention after a strong start over Thursday and Friday.

How Significant Is Moving Day To The Final Outcome?

At the Masters, seven of the last 15 years has seen a golfer win who did not start the final day at the top of the pile.

Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Peter Hanson, Angel Cabrera, Jordan Spieth, sco Molinari and Brooks Koepka have all failed to win the Masters despite topping the pile after Moving Day.

However, more often than not in that time the player top of the pile coming out of Moving Day goes on to win the green jacket.

One of the best Moving Day performances in recent years was Dustin Johnson back in 2020.

After finishing the second round tied first with -9, he enjoyed a bogey-free round of 65 to move onto -16, taking a four-shot lead into the final day.

Biggest Losers On Moving Day At The Masters

Moving Day is also when aspirations can end before even approaching the final day of the Masters.

Tiger Woods carded a 10-over-par 82 in the third round of last year’s Masters – his highest-ever score in a major championship.

Jason Day in 2019 was t-first after round two but slipped out of the top 10 completely on Moving Day with a score of 73.

Rory McIlroy in 2017 went into the third round one shot off the lead. However, he scored a 75 on Moving Day and was 5+ going into the final round – eight shots off the lead.

Moving Day hurt Fred Couples’ chances in back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013.

In 2012, he led going into round three but dropped out of the top 10 after scoring a 75. A year later he was one shot off the lead but scored a 77 and dropped out of the top 10 again.

How Moving Day Leaders Fared At The Masters

2010 – Lee Westwood -12 (Finished second with -13 and three shots off winner Phil Mickelson)

2011 – Rory McIlroy -12 (Finished tied 15th with -4 and ten shots off winner Charl Schwartzel)

2012 – Peter Hanson -9 (Finished tied third with -8 and and two shots off winner Bubba Watson)

2013 – Angel Cabrera -7 (Lost on a playoff to Adam Scott after they finished on -9)

2014 – Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson -5 (Bubba Watson won with -8, while Jordan Spieth was third on -5)

2015 – Jordan Spieth -16 (Finished first with -18)

2016 – Jordan Spieth – 3 (Finished second with -2 and three shots off winner Danny Willett)

2017 – Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose -6 (Garcia beat Rose on a playoff after they finished on -9)

2018 – Patrick Reed -14 (Finished first on -15)

2019 – sco Molinari -13 (Finished tied fifth with -11 and two shots off winner Tiger Woods)

2020 – Dustin Johnson -16 (Finished first with -20)

2021 – Hideki Matsuyama -11 (Finished first with -10)

2022 – Scottie Scheffler -9 (Finished first with -10)

2023 – Brooks Koepka – 11 (Finished second with -9 and two shots off winner Jon Rahm)

2024 – Scottie Scheffler -7 (Finished first with -11)