If you’ve ever sat on the hill behind the 12th green at Augusta National, you know that Saturday feels different. The air is thicker. The galleries are louder. Honestly, the tension is just on another level. This is "Moving Day," and the Masters round 3 tee times aren't just a schedule; they are a psychological roadmap of who is about to fold and who is ready to chase a Green Jacket.
People always scramble to find the exact times the leaders go off. But here’s the thing: Moving Day isn't just about the final pairing. It's about the guy sitting at even par who goes out early, finds a rhythm, and posts a 65 before the leaders even finish their lunch in the Champions Locker Room.
The Strategy Behind Saturday Pairings
Augusta National doesn't do things like your local muni. After the cut is made on Friday—typically the top 50 players and ties—the field is re-paired. Forget the threesomes from Thursday and Friday. Saturday is strictly twosomes.
The order is simple but brutal: worst scores go first, best scores go last.
Typically, the first pairing for the third round will head to the first tee around 10:00 a.m. EDT. If there's a weird number of players (an odd number of golfers making the cut), the first person out might play as a "marker" or go solo.
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Why the 10-Minute Gap Matters
Most PGA Tour events use 11 or 12-minute intervals. At the Masters, they often tighten it to 10 minutes for the weekend. Why? Because the field is smaller. It creates a relentless flow of talent. You barely have time to digest a birdie at the 18th before the next group is landing their approach shots near the same bunker.
- Early Starters: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (The "Hopefuls")
- Mid-Day Groups: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM (The "Mover" Zone)
- The Leaders: 1:40 PM – 2:40 PM (The "Pressure Cooker")
Masters Round 3 Tee Times: The Leaderboard Logic
By the time Saturday morning rolls around, the Masters committee has crunched the numbers. If two players are tied, the person who finished their second round earlier gets the later (and theoretically better) tee time.
It’s a tiny reward for being efficient on Friday.
You’ll see names like Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy—who finally broke his curse with a win in 2025—hovering in those afternoon slots. But watch out for the young guns. Players like Ludvig Åberg or Rasmus Højgaard have shown they don't care about the "wait your turn" tradition at Augusta.
"Saturday at Augusta isn't about winning the tournament. It's about not losing it before the sun goes down." — This is a sentiment shared by almost every caddie who has walked these hills.
What to Watch for on Moving Day
The course setup on Saturday is notoriously "gettable." The pins are usually tucked in spots that reward aggressive iron play but punish a "safe" shot that misses by five feet.
The Amen Corner Effect
Around 2:30 PM or 3:00 PM, the Masters round 3 tee times usually place the top ten players right in the heart of Amen Corner (holes 11, 12, and 13). This is when the tournament usually flips on its head. The wind swirling over Rae’s Creek doesn't care about your world ranking.
Weather and Pace
If the Georgia humidity kicks in, the greens get faster as the day progresses. The guys teeing off at 10:15 AM are putting on "slow" greens (by Augusta standards). By the time the leaders tee off at 2:30 PM, those same greens are like glass. It's basically a different sport.
Making the Most of the Broadcast
If you're watching from home, the "Featured Groups" coverage is your best friend. The main CBS broadcast doesn't usually start until the mid-afternoon, but the digital feeds start the second the first ball is in the air.
- Check the Overlap: Look for players who have a history of low Saturdays. Jordan Spieth, even when he’s struggling, tends to find magic on Moving Day.
- The 15th Hole: This is the highest-variance hole on the course. Watch the groups in the 1:00 PM window; they often take the biggest risks here to try and jump into the top five.
- The Butler Cabin Update: Keep an ear out for the mid-round interviews. You can tell a lot about a player's mental state by how they describe the speed of the 12th green.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re tracking the Masters round 3 tee times to place a live bet or just to win your office pool, keep these nuances in mind.
- Avoid the "Late Surge" Trap: Don't just bet on the leader. Look at the guys three strokes back who tee off 20 minutes before the final group. They have the advantage of seeing the leader's names on the manual scoreboards without the same level of final-group pressure.
- Wind Patterns: Check the local Augusta forecast for the 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM window. If a front is moving in, the late starters are going to have a nightmare on the closing stretch (17 and 18).
- The "First Out" Factor: Occasionally, the first player out on Saturday posts a number that holds up for four hours. It changes the psychology of the entire field.
The official pairings are usually released late Friday evening, about an hour after the final putt drops. Once they are out, map out your viewing. Don't just wait for the leaders. The real "moving" happens while the leaders are still hitting balls on the range.
Next Steps:
- Monitor the official Masters app or website immediately after the Friday cut-line is finalized (usually around 7:30 PM local time).
- Note the gap between the penultimate pairing and the final group; a larger gap often leads to a slower, more deliberate pace that favors veterans over aggressive younger players.
- Focus your Saturday morning on the "Featured Holes" stream to gauge the green speeds before the main broadcast begins.