LOOK: Nick Saban, noted golf fan, makes surprise appearance at the Masters

Following some speaking engagements in Augusta, Georgia, noted golf fan Nick Saban made his way over to the Master’s Tournament to check out the final round on Sunday.

The nation’s current No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, leads the field at -9 through three rounds, while Cameron Smith is his closest competitor at -6. However, the Alabama head coach is probably more excited to check out his buddy Justin Thomas. The former Crimson Tide golfer is -1 heading into his final round, which starts at 2:20 p.m., and is in sixth place. Thomas hits the course on Sunday with Charl Schwartzel and Saban will have a front-row spot for the action.

.@AlabamaFTBL head coach Nick Saban is among the patrons at Augusta National today. 💯 pic.twitter.com/dZfXOE98e0

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 10, 2022

Thomas played at Alabama for one season before turning professional in 2013. In that season, he took first place six times and helped the Crimson Tide to the 2013 national championship. He also earned the Haskins Award, which is given to the best collegiate golfer in the nation.

Thomas has 14 career wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2021 Players Championship. In March, ahead of the 2022 Players, Saban and Thomas hit the TPC Sawgrass course together.

Tiger Woods discusses Sunday round, relationship with Justin Thomas

Tiger Woods is through three rounds at the Masters, and he is looking for a better round on Sunday to close things out. Woods isn’t in contention, as he’s sitting at +7 entering Sunday. 

After making the cut through the first two rounds, Woods shot a 78 on Saturday, which was six-over par. As he enters Sunday essentially out of the running, Woods is hoping that he can get back to even par at the Masters, and he overall wants to just have a better round than he did on Saturday.

“Well right now what am I at, six over,” Woods said when asked what a successful Masters Sunday would look for him. “Maybe I shoot a 66 and get back to even par, end right where I started. So hopefully I can get a good round tomorrow. It’s going to be a little bit warmer, hopefully, I feel a little bit more limper than I did today and get it going and putt a little bit better.”

Woods has a great relationship with Justin Thomas, who enters the final round of the Masters at -1 and tied for sixth on the leaderboard. When asked about his relationship with Thomas, he said that the two communicate via texting throughout their rounds.

“It’s not necessarily giving advice,” Woods said about Thomas. “We just chit-chat. As I said, he’s like my little brother. We’re in a group text and it’s either me and JT talking, or me, Fred and JT. You see us in the practice rounds having a great time and that just continues via text.”

On3’s Jonathan Wagner contributed to this report.