Golf fans react to shock final day pin position on 16th hole at The Masters

Golf fans have been reacting to shock news that the pin on the par-3 16th will not be in its usual middle-back left position for the final round of The Masters. 

Augusta National released its final-round pin positions for the 2025 Masters Tournament immediately after Saturday's third round.

PGA Tour superstar Rory McIlroy fired a second consecutive round of 6-under 66 to move to 12-under par for 54 holes.

The World No.2 now leads LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau by two shots heading into Sunday's final round. 

McIlroy, 35, is going in search of the career grand slam, something only five players have managed to achieve in the modern era - Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

But back to the top of the story and The Masters has confirmed some shock final-round pin positions, none bigger than the 16th. 

The pin on the par-3 16th will be located in the back right of the green, and not in its customary middle-back left position. 

The middle-back left pin position for 16 has been used for at least the last 40 editions of The Masters. 

But not today. 

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The typical 16th pin location has seen plenty of hole-in-ones down the years, especially with players being able to use the huge slope in the middle of the green to their advantage and guide their ball down to hole. 

The pin was of course in the middle-back left position when Tiger Woods famously chipped in from off the back of the green en route to winning The Masters in 2005. 

Many consider that the greatest shot ever hit in Masters - and major - history. 

Watch that memorable moment here:

Only there will be none of the above on Sunday at the 2025 Masters Tournament.

The pin on 16 has been cut to the back right, and par will now very much be a great score here. 

In normal final rounds at The Masters, the 16th has been regarded as a golden chance to make ground with a birdie or even an ace. 

"Absolutely diabolical decision," said one golf fan.

"This makes me sad," commented another. . 

"Genuinely just spat out my coffee," wrote one irate Masters fan. 

"I get the reason but come on Augusta, the back left pin is always one of the highlights of a Masters final round," tweeted another. 

But there is good reason for the change, and it's to do with golf legend Jack Nicklaus. 

Why is the pin located in the back right instead of the back left for the final round of the 2025 Masters?

The reason for the back right pin position on 16 is a result of The Masters paying homage to golf legend Jack Nicklaus. 

The back right pin on 16 is where it was when Nicklaus won The Masters 50 years ago in 1975. 

Nicklaus is a record six-time Masters champion and record 18-time major winner.

The Golden Bear won his fifth Masters title in 1975.

Nicklaus won The Masters in in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986. 

Augusta National decided to use a back left pin position during Thursday's first round, albeit it wasn't exactly in the same spot as a normal Sunday, which has been middle-back left for some 40 years. 

Legendary golf caddie Billy Foster was quick to react to the pin position change on 16 while appearing on Sky Sports Golf's build up programme. 

"For some reason, and for the first time in 40 Masters I'd imagine the pin is not back left where it always is, it's in the back right section now," said Foster. 

"You're looking to keep it under the hole, you can hit a great shot six or seven feet left of the hole and it will feed down and leave you a 40 foot putt up the hill. 

"The bunker on the right is a no go, it's a disaster and double-bogey material there, so it's important to keep it under the hole."