Rory McIlroy is a huge favorite to don the green jacket come Sunday at Augusta National after posting a six-under 66 in Round 3. The Northern Irishman struggled to end his first round on Thursday, but bounced back with a solid Friday. He remained sharp in Saturday’s third round and threw down a string of birdies and an eagle to take the lead by the turn.
The 2021 champion Hideki Matsuyama is in the group just ahead of defending champion Patrick Reed, with Tommy Fleetwood and Joaquin Niemann not far behind them. All three have shot rounds of seven under so far, but have had some hiccups.
McIlroy’s birdie effort at the par-five 14th was a beauty, but he was unlucky not to make a double on the next hole as he tapped in for a birdie. He then played an excellent approach on the par-four 16th but his chip shot was a bit long, leaving him with a tough bogey putt to get to 13 under.
Justin Rose catches McIlroy in the final group, but he is a little farther aback than he wanted to be at this stage of The Masters. The Englishman is no stranger to being in the final group at a major championship, having finished that way on eight occasions, including two times as a runner-up in this tournament. He rolled in eight birdies and has a share of the lead on 12 under.