1 week Ago
AUGUSTA — Rory McIlroy is glad he has a short memory. He's hoping it comes in handy Sunday in the final round of the 89th Masters Tournament, where demons from both his recent past and long ago will be staring him in the face over the course of 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club. Lingering just out of reach is the green jacket, the missing piece of the career Grand Slam that's eluded him for 11 years.
It's all there for McIlroy, who after a second consecutive 66 has the solo lead at 12 under heading into the final round of the Masters. The last time he had the 54-hole lead here was in 2011, when he imploded with a final-round 80 to fall all the way into a tie for 15th. Waiting for him in the final pairing two shots behind is Bryson DeChambeau, who handed McIlroy a painful runner-up last summer at the U.
S. Open at Pinehurst. Needless to say, he'll be counting on that short memory as he looks to make the history he always seemed destined to produce.
Not that he's going to let his mind wander Saturday night. "Yeah, I think I still have to remind myself that there's a long way to go, just like I said yesterday, 18 holes," he said. "I, just as much as anyone else, know what can happen on the final day here.
You know, I've got a lot of experience. I came in here talking about being the most complete version of myself as a golfer, and you know, I just have to keep reminding myself of that and remind myself that no matter what situation or scenario I find myself in tomorrow, I'll be able to handle it." McIlroy played his first five holes Saturday in 5-under par, then parred the sixth to set a new Masters record by starting his round with six consecutive 3s.
He rallied around a bobble at the turn and rebuilt his momentum with a key par putt on 11. From there, he wanted to take advantage of the par 5s and get into the house. Meanwhile, DeChambeau (69) was having to remind himself, much like McIlroy, that there was still plenty of golf to be played.
DeChambeau could hear the roars early in the day, then again when McIlroy hit a 6-iron from 209 yards to 6 feet to set up an eagle on the par-5 15th. Luckily for DeChambeau, he likes to chase. A few minutes later he hit a dart to 4 feet on the par-3 16th for birdie and stared across the pond as the patrons grew louder, then turned the volume up even higher when he rolled in a 48-footer from just off the green for birdie on 18.
"Yeah, on 15, 16, 17, 18, those last few holes, I just kept thinking to myself, just get in the final pairing," he said. "Just execute those shots the best you possibly can and give yourself a chance on 15, 16, 17. I really didn't on 17, but 18, I made a beautiful putt to finish it off.
That was cool." Corey Conners (70) is alone in third at 8 under after some missed birdie opportunities once he got within a shot. At 6 under are Patrick Reed (69), the 2018 Masters champion, who finally made some putts after a frustrating first two rounds, and Ludvig Åberg (69), who was runner-up last year in his debut and already looks to be very comfortable on this stage.
Four are at 5 under, including two-time winner and defending champion Scottie Scheffler (72), who again couldn't get much going on a Saturday afternoon in Augusta, and 18- and 36-hole leader Justin Rose (75), who had another tough Saturday here while holding the lead. They're all chasing the top two, and they'll look to create some noise of their own to avoid getting drowned out by what's happening behind them. Both have passionate followings, and that only escalated during the PGA Tour vs.
LIV Golf schism. Add in the finish at Pinehurst and what's at stake for both, and it has all the makings of a Sunday classic at Augusta National. "It will be the grandest stage that we've had in a long time, and I'm excited for it," DeChambeau said.
"We both want to win really, really badly, and it's - you know, shoot, there's a lot of great players behind us, too. Got to be mindful of that and focus on - it's about who can control themselves and who can execute the golf shots the best. In regard to the patrons, it's going to be an electric atmosphere.
" McIlroy cranked up the electricity early in his round, starting birdie-eagle-birdie to surge into the lead. He added another birdie on the par-4 fifth hole, and suddenly he was all the way to 11 under, three clear of DeChambeau and now four ahead of Rose. "Yeah, obviously it was a dream start to get off to the start that I did," he said.
"Hit two perfect shots on 1 and converted. Felt like I hit sort of three perfect shots on 2. Three perfect shots on 3.
It was such a great way to start, and you know, just to come out of the blocks like that, I think, as well, from finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today, it's quite a long time. You know, there's a lot of anticipation and sort of anxious energy that builds up. You just want to get out there and play.
So you know, with all of that, to go out and start the way I did, was amazing." He played his next five holes in 2 over, but rebounded from there. He birdied 13 and eagled 15, with a second shot eerily similar to the one Tiger Woods hit on Sunday in 2005, and parred the rest for his second consecutive low round to push a pair of late double bogeys Thursday further into the rearview mirror.
This is his first outright 54-hole lead in a major since the 2014 PGA Championship, his last of four titles. The last time he was in a final pairing at the Masters was alongside Reed in 2018, when he shot 74 and was never a factor. DeChambeau battled some iffy iron play all day by turning in some of the finest scrambling of his career.
He wedged his way out of trouble time after time, saving pars when he needed to before birdieing three of his final four holes. The prospect of chasing down the lead was one he relished - Sunday, he'll get to do it from the same pairing. "Yeah, I think it's fun, feeling like you have to hit every single shot to the best of your ability, and you can't let off the gas pedal," he said.
"You just have to focus and play the best - absolute best golf you possibly can. When you're leading, it's a little different. I've had those times, as well.
You attack that a little differently. But for me, I'll be chasing tomorrow. It will be a fun test.
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