The majority of professional golf tournaments are held over 72-holes and four days, and it's in those events that we have moving day, but what is it?
Moving day is another name given to the third round of a tournament, which typically falls on a Saturday.
A tournament rarely looks like a foregone conclusion at the halfway stage, even for players in the bottom half of the leaderboard, and, as its name suggests, moving day often sees players climb their way into contention for the final round while others fall away.
At many tournaments, you'd typically expect to find about 10 shots separating the leader from those who make the cut on the mark. That leaves a window of opportunity for even those who just scrape over the line and into the weekend's action. That means any player who shoots a low score in the third round can move into genuine contention going into the final round.
Leaders often approach moving day with a view to consolidating their position, but for those further down, there's more temptation to throw some caution to the wind. While that can be a risky strategy a sprint from the pack is always something to look out for.
The third round often gives us some of the most exciting action of the week. Of course, playing aggressively will cost some and benefit others, but seeing those players make their moves can make for compelling viewing.
For example, Tom Hoge was in the top 10 of the leaderboard after the second round of The Players Championship in 2024, six off leader Wyndham Clark, only to drop out by the end of play on Saturday before finishing T54, while going the other way was Ludvig Aberg, who was 10 behind Clark at the start of play but had reduced that by three by the end on his way to a top-10 finish.
For those who enjoy betting on golf, moving day offers plenty of value if you can pick the most likely player most likely to start their way up the leaderboard. But what’s the best strategy for doing that?
One way is to look at the conditions players had to deal with in the earlier rounds. For example, at links courses, the afternoon conditions are often wildly different from the morning and can often favor half the field in rounds one and two.
Selecting a player who battled to make the cut from the wrong side of the draw is a good way to identify those who might do well on moving day. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, too. If a change in the weather is likely to impact the chances of an outsider making a move, it's probably a good idea to look elsewhere.
Ultimately, moving day is all about jostling for position. No one wants to head into the final round without a realistic chance of giving the leaders at least something to think about.
Finding a balance between playing aggressively and avoiding a high score is vital, but for any player who manages that on moving day, there's every chance they'll head to the clubhouse still with one eye on claiming the trophy.
