Rory McIlroy has made history with the most impressive start to a round seen at The Masters in its 91 years, firing off six consecutive threes that put him at the top after the third round.
Now just one round away from donning the desired green jacket and achieving a career grand slam in majors, McIlroy will be paired with Bryson DeChambeau in a match-up that many will regard as one of the great pairings in Masters history.
The Northern Irishman, who chipped in for an eagle at the start of his round, took the solo lead and furthered his advantage with another eagle on the par-5 15th hole — the same hole where he had a double bogey in the first round, this time hitting a stunning 6-iron to within two metres.
He finished with another solid 6-under 66 and enjoys a two-shot edge over DeChambeau.
“Today was brilliant, and I’m in a fantastic position for tomorrow,” McIlroy remarked.
Rory McIlroy has surged into a two-shot lead after the third round at The Masters. Getty
McIlroy will face familiar competition in DeChambeau, who showcased his own skills with a stunning 14-metre birdie putt to kick off his round and wrapped things up with a long 15-metre birdie putt on the 18th for a score of 69.
DeChambeau had previously dealt McIlroy a significant blow at Pinehurst No. 2 by defeating him in the US Open, extending McIlroy’s major championship drought beyond a decade.
“It’s going to be the most spectacular stage we’ve had in a long time, and I can’t wait for it,” said DeChambeau. “The atmosphere is going to be electric.”
McIlroy is also well-acquainted with his position heading into the final day at Augusta National.
It was 14 years ago when the then 21-year-old, full of promise, held a four-shot lead going into the final round of The Masters, only to tumble to an 80 that left him in tears.
“I need to keep my composure and stay focused within my own little bubble,” McIlroy shared.
Since then, he hasn’t had a better opportunity to clinch that green jacket than this week, having bounced back from two double bogeys in his opening round to deliver rounds of 66-66.
The stakes on Sunday are high, with a chance to become just the sixth player ever to capture all four major championships, a feat that Tiger Woods last accomplished nearly 25 years ago at the British Open.
Corey Conners made an impressive comeback, reducing McIlroy’s earlier five-shot lead to just one stroke in three holes on an eventful Saturday, ultimately finishing with a steady eight-par streak for a 70. He remains in third place, four strokes adrift.
No one else is within six strokes of McIlroy’s score. Justin Rose, who began the round with a one-shot lead, carded a 3-over 75, placing him seven shots behind in a tie for sixth alongside Aussie Jason Day and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.
Bryson DeChambeau will join McIlroy in the final group on Monday morning. Getty
Min Woo Lee, the other Aussie who made the cut, encountered difficulties in his third round. He scored a lone birdie at the par-4 third but gave it back two holes later.
He turned even for the round and finished 1-under overall, but a disappointing five bogeys saw him post a 77, which dropped him down the leaderboard.
The defending champion, Scheffler, faced a challenging day, though his solid putting saved him from worse outcomes. He aims to become only the second player alongside Jack Nicklaus to win three green jackets within four years.
In the third round, Scheffler struggled to create birdie chances, spending most of the day scrambling for pars. His even-par 72 could have been notably worse.
He stands at 5-under 211 for the tournament.
“At times, I felt great, at other moments not so much,” Scheffler reflected. “I struggled to get into a rhythm today. I had a decent start with a birdie on No. 2, but after that, I didn’t set myself up for enough birdie opportunities and missed a few I did have.”
The final rounds are set to commence at 11:40 pm AEST.
Jason Day remains the top Aussie contender and is a potential candidate to become the second Australian to win a green jacket.Getty
The Masters Final Round Tee Times
All times AEST Sun/Mon. Australians in BOLD.
11:40pm: Brian Campbell (along with Augusta National member Michael McDermott)
11:50pm: Hideki Matsuyama, Akshay Bhatia
12:00 am: Justin Thomas, Min Woo Lee
12:10 am: Brian Harman, JJ Spaun
12:20 am: Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark
12:30 am: Danny Willett, JT Poston
12:40 am: Sam Burns, Stephan Jaeger
1:00 am: Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Taylor
1:10 am: Tom Kim, Charl Schwartzel
1:20 am: Davis Riley, Tommy Fleetwood
1:30 am: Daniel Berger, Bubba Watson
1:40 am: Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala
1:50 am: Michael Kim, Denny McCarthy
2:00 am: Maverick McNealy, Harris English
2:20 am: Joaquin Niemann, Jon Rahm
2:30 am: Byeong Hun An, Rasmus Højgaard
2:40 am: Jordan Spieth, Max Greyserman
2:50 am: Tyrrell Hatton, Matt McCarty
3:00 am: Davis Thompson, Tom Hoge
3:10 am: Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland
3:20 am: Sungjae Im, Max Homa
3:40 am: Nico Echavarria, Xander Schauffele
3:50 am: Justin Rose, Zach Johnson
4:00 am: Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry
4:10 am: Ludvig Åberg, Jason Day
4:20 am: Corey Conners, Patrick Reed
4:30 am: Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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