There’s $21 million on the line. The Masters — one of the biggest prizes in professional golf — will be decided today. And, as is often the case with major sporting events, athletes from other sports are tuning in to watch the drama unfold. Among them are F1’s two resident golfers, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, who shared their thoughts on the outcome.
As things stand, Rory McIlroy is leading the standings, 12 under par, with Bryson DeChambeau (10 under par) and Cory Connors (8 under par) behind. But behind them, there’s a line of golfers who are tied for multiple scores, who have a chance at victory, and it included some names Norris and Sainz discussed.
After the qualifying session in Bahrain last night, Sainz asked his former teammate for a prediction first, and Norris, without any hesitation, took McIlroy’s name. “Rory, Rory…” Sainz responded, cheekily.
Norris, however, went on to shed light on some other stars down in the standings, who he feels are at their top game. Joaquin Niemann was one of them. “He’s on a flyer at the moment,” Norris said about the Chilean, who’s tied in 25th, at even par.
The McLaren driver also took current world number on Scottie Scheffler’s name, and while the American is currently tied in sixth, 5 below par, “You can’t rule out Scotty Scheffler.”
Sainz, meanwhile, decided to be loyal to his countryman — at least initially. He chose Spaniard Jon Rahm as his pick, until Norris asked him to stop being biased and give an accurate call. Then, Sainz also picked McIlroy.
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“I thin Rory is in good form. And I think everything until now has led him to this moment. I think, with all that happened last year, and if he wins the Masters, that’s him winning all four majors,” the Williams driver explained.
Sainz was, of course, referring to McIlroy’s disappointing 2024 Masters campaign, where he was eliminated after just two rounds. For one of the greatest golfers of all time, it was a shocking exit. Now, Sainz is hoping for a redemption story for the 35-year-old.
On Masters Saturday it was hard to ignore Rory McIlroy. On Sunday, there’s an entire field—and one long hitter in particular—hoping to steal that spotlight from him. #themasters pic.twitter.com/DaiPZHGENu
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
Norris, however, was mindful of the fact that McIlroy hasn’t won a major in 11 years — his last coming in 2014 at the PGA Championship. Still, Sainz chose to believe in the Northern Irishman. “He’s got it in him, though,” he said.
To date, McIlroy has won four golf majors — the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, The Open (British Open) in 2014, and the U.S. Open in 2011. If he finally claims the green jacket tonight, he will join an elite group of just five golfers who have completed a career Grand Slam, winning all four majors.
Can he claim it? Sainz and Norris certainly think so.
