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Mark Schlabach
Augusta, Ga. – Rory McILroy There are 18 holes away from golf immortality.
The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland will take the two-stroke lead to the last round of the 89th Champions in Augusta National Golf Club after making one of his best rounds at the main championship with 66 66 on Saturday, which moved it to 12 less.
McIlroy, World No. 2, must win an elusive green jacket to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods The only golfers who have completed their career Grand Slam in the Masters era.
It will be 11. Attempt McILroy to complete the Grand Slam’s career, and that could be his best opportunity to do it.
“I think I still have to remind myself that there is a long way, just as I said yesterday, 18 holes,” McIlroy said. “Me, like anyone else, I know what can happen on the last day.”
Liv Golf League captain Bryson Brazambeau Perhaps the biggest obstacle in his journey is. Brazambeau made a 48-foot putt from the edge of 18. Green to get into two strokes of McILroy. He made birds on three of the last four holes to send 3-below 69.
McIlroy and Brazambeau will detonate on Sunday at 14:30 in the final pairing.
It will be a match of their final duel in 2024 US Open in Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. McIlroy missed two short putts in the last three holes, allowing the Brazambeau to make an unforgettable shot from the bunker and a par putt on the 72. The hole to win his second major, both came to the US Open.
“It will be the biggest phase we have had in a long time, and I am excited about it,” Ochozhambeau said. “We both want to win really, really badly. You know, shoot, there are also a lot of great players behind us.
Canada Corey Conners was the third at 8 at the age of 8 and 2018 Masters Champion Patrick reed and Sweden Ludvig Åberg They were tied fourth in 6th place.
World no. 1 Scottie Schefflerwho fought over 72 on Saturday, is among the four golfer tied sixth in 5 pod.
After birdie-eagle-birdie began to erase his two-stroke deficit and gave him a direct lead on Saturday, McILroy led up to four blows in the first nine. But his unstable game around the series-Bogeys on the par-5 eighth and par-4 10.-nedni his advantage to one.
McIlroy took control of the first major of the season with the birdie on Par-5. And the second eagle wheels on Par-5 15. Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Brazambeau.
McIlroy could already have one arm in the sleeve of green jackets if he did not call a double bogeys on no. 15 and 17.
McIlroy bounced off to go 12 under his last 36 holes. He is only the sixth golfer in the history of Masters to publish a 66s in the same tournament.
If McIlroy completes his work on Sunday, his seven -day deficit will join the largest through 18 holes the winner of the Champions. Nick Faldo (1990) and Woods (2005) also returned many.
“There is obvious pressure but has pressure every week,” he said Jason Day“He looked very focused, determined to achieve it among those who were tied up sixth after the third round. ”
McIlroy will also try to end more than ten -year -old drought without much victory in the championship. It’s his 39. Start in one of the big four, because he last captured the PGA 2014 Championship in the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
McIlroy got to the blistering beginning, which rarely was seen on a cult course. In only three holes he erased two Rose shot and made 10 feet for birdies on No. 1, resisting from 54 feet from greenery for Eagle to No. 2 and then rolled in the next 7-stop for birdies to No. 3 to take direct lead in 10 pod.
According to Research ESPN, he became only the sixth player in the history of Masters, who went 4 under the first three holes.
“Yeah, apparently it was a dream that started at the beginning I did,” he said.
McIlroy wasn’t done. After Brazambeau registered Bogey on the third, McIlroy introduced an easy par-3 on the fourth Par-3 to take two eccentric lead over Brazambeau and Rose.
McIlroy torn the 342-yard ride after the fifth Par-4 and knocked his access to 8 feet. With another birdie, he was 11 under and three shots in front of Brazambeau and four in front of Rose and Lowry.
McIlroy made a 9-footer to save par on the sixth hole of the PAR-3 and became the first golfer in the history of Masters to launched a wheel with six consecutive 3s at his Scorecard. (He was also the first to do it with five straight.)
After driving the tee deep into the trees, McIlroy saved a par on the seventh. But then, just like that, it seemed to have lost momentum. His ride on the eighth Par-5 landed on the bunker of the nautical track. He was forced to lay and knocked his approach to the back of the green. He scared at 8 feet and missed. Bogey dropped him to 10 below.
McIlroy missed a 5-stop for birdie in ninth place and turned to 4-Dod 32. It was two strikes before Drahambeau and three in front of Rose and Conners.
To the 495-yards 10. Three-putted, missing 8-footer for par. He fell on 9 below, only one before Brazambeau and his playing partner Conners, who made three straight birds to move to the tie for a second.
“I think when he plays his best golf, it’s hard to catch him,” Åberg said. “I don’t think there are a lot of people in this world who can catch him when he plays the best.”
Good news for McIlroy: Each of its four previous main victories of the championship – in 2011 US Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship – came when he had a direct lead after 54 holes.
The only time he failed to convert, while holding a lead of 54 tribes in the main major, appeared on Masters 2011. After each of the first three rounds he had at least a share in the lead and took a four -stroke pillow to the last 18 holes. At that time, 21 -year -old McIlroy collapsed and sent 8 80. Charl Schwartzel South Africa.
Fourteen years later, McIlroy has a chance to finally overdo these demons.
“You know, I have a lot of experience,” he said. “I came here and talked about being the most complete version of myself as a golfers, and you know, I just have to remind myself and remind myself that no matter what situation or script I find tomorrow, I’ll be able to handle it.”
