The inexperienced jacket is formally Rory McIlroy’s to lose however he must maintain off his US Open nemesis Bryson DeChambeau in a mouth-watering closing pairing at The Masters.
McIlroy jumped to the highest at -12 after a shocking second straight spherical of 66 and boasts a two-shot lead over DeChambeau after conclusion of the third spherical.
The LIV Golf star got here residence with a moist sail nevertheless, birding three of his final 4 holes, together with a monster putt from the perimeter on the final, to make sure the pair will meet in the identical group at a significant for the primary time.
FOX SPORTS, accessible on Kayo Sports activities, is the one place to look at the 2025 Masters LIVE | New to Kayo? Get your first month for simply $1. Restricted time supply.
McIlroy’s infamously melted down at Pinehurst final 12 months, lacking quick par putts at 16 and 18 within the closing spherical as DeChambeau got here up clutch to win his second US Open crown and prolong McIlroy’s now 11 12 months quest to interrupt his main drought.
However they have been a bunch aside on that event.
Within the closing spherical at Augusta Nationwide, McIlroy and DeChambeau will lock horns once more however this time they’ll actually be going shot for shot as they each chase a maiden Masters triumph, and the elusive profession grand slam for McIlroy.
LEADERBOARD: Dwell scores and extra from Spherical 3 at The Masters
“You make eagles, you get a jacket!” | 01:37
The rematch is a golf fan’s dream — “it doesn’t get larger than this” famous Wealthy Lerner on the printed after the spherical — however McIlroy is making an attempt to remain calm and think about it as something however.
“I believe the massive factor is to not make it a rematch and keep in my very own little world,” he stated post-round.
“There’s a couple of different individuals on that leaderboard who could make a run, so I simply should do what I’ve been doing and virtually throw myself into my very own little cocoon, my very own little bubble.
“He’ll do what he does. I simply have to remain agency and keep in my very own little world.”
READ MORE
‘Shouldn’t occur’: Star storms out of interview as trace over Masters gag order causes stir
McIlroy overpowered the again 9 par 5s to strengthen his lead, highlighted by a mind-blowing eagle on the fifteenth.
Arguably the shot of the event to this point set it up as he launched a six-iron from 205 yards excessive into the Augusta sky and landed it softly, six ft from the pin, on the inexperienced that has prompted complications all week, together with when McIlroy chipped throughout it into the water en path to a double bogey two days in the past.
He made a shocking birdie-eagle-birdie-par-birdie begin to the third spherical to leap to the highest of the leaderboard forward of DeChambeau and in a single day chief Justin Rose, who performed within the group in entrance.
The world No.2 remarkably had six straight threes on his scorecard via six holes, the primary participant in Masters historical past to start out a spherical in such vogue.
“It acquired to me” – Lee confused by clock | 00:51
He drained a ten-footer for birdie after smashing his drive 371 yards, 56 yards additional then anybody else on the first.
Then he chipped-in for eagle from the again of the inexperienced on the par 5 second, and adopted that by sinking a seven-foot birdie putt on the seventh to profit from a pleasant wedge strategy.
Holing an 18-foot birdie putt on the par 4 fifth after one other booming drive and tidy wedge shot then stored his momentum going.
However issues acquired nervy as he closed in on the flip.
McIlroy missed a ten-footer for par on the par 5 eighth after hitting his drive right into a fairway bunker and lacking the inexperienced along with his third, and the putter stayed chilly on the ninth as he missed a five-foot birdie putt.
One other dropped shot on the ten revived reminiscences of previous main meltdowns, however he banished them for now with a birdie on the thirteenth courtesy of a tidy up-and-down from the again of the inexperienced, and his second eagle of the day.
Birdie, Eagle, Birdie! Rory takes lead | 01:32
DeChambeau tried his finest to maintain up with the crimson sizzling tempo early, beginning his day with back-to-back birdies however the LIV star has struggled to assemble any momentum throughout the center section of his spherical.
It was on the fifteenth the place he too caught alight nevertheless, getting up-and-down for birdie earlier than sticking his tee shot to close tap-in distance on the subsequent gap to achieve one other shot again.
Then it beggars perception that he walked away from the 18th with a birdie after discovering a fairway bunker off the tee however he rolled the birdie residence from the perimeter to save lots of one of many loudest roars of the day for final.
Corey Conners is in third place after the Canadian shot 70 to maneuver to -8, whereas final 12 months’s runner-up Ludvig Aberg and 2018 champion Patrick Reed spherical out the highest 5 at -6.
Australia’s Jason Day is -5, alongside defending champion Scottie Scheffler, in a single day chief Rose and 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry.
Day made birdie on the second courtesy of a tidy up-and-down and in addition on the fifth as he dropped mid-range putt to convey his Friday night declaration that he must gap extra putts to life.
He made one other birdie on the 14th however bogeys on the par 3s twelfth and sixteenth, solely his second and third dropped pictures of the week, prevented him making extra of a cost.
Remaining Spherical Tee Instances AEST
11:40 p.m. – Brian Campbell
11:50 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Akshay Bhatia
12:00 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Min Woo Lee
12:10 a.m. – Brian Harman, J.J. Spaun
12:20 a.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark
12:30 a.m. – Danny Willett, J. T. Poston
12:40 a.m. – Sam Burns, Stephan Jaeger
1:00 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Taylor
1:10 a.m. – Tom Kim, Charl Schwartzel
1:20 a.m. – Davis Riley, Tommy Fleetwood
1:30 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Bubba Watson
1:40 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala
1:50 a.m. – Michael Kim, Denny McCarthy
2:00 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Harris English
2:20 a.m. – Joaquín Niemann, Jon Rahm
2:30 a.m. – Byeong Hun An, Rasmus Højgaard
2:40 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Max Greyserman
2:50 a.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Matt McCarty
3:00 a.m. – Davis Thompson, Tom Hoge
3:10 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland
3:20 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Max Homa
3:40 a.m. – Nicolas Echavarria, Xander Schauffele
3:50 a.m. – Justin Rose, Zach Johnson
4:00 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry
4:10 a.m. – Ludvig Åberg, Jason Day
4:20 a.m. – Corey Conners, Patrick Reed
4:30 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau
Comply with all of the motion from Spherical 3 at The Masters in our stay weblog beneath. Can’t see it? Click on right here