By Iain Payten and Murray Wenzel
Rory McIlroy will attempt to become the sixth player in history to win all four golf majors on Monday after finishing the third round with a two-shot lead at the Masters.
But the Irishman will have a familiar foe alongside him in the imposing form of Bryson DeChambeau, who downed McIlroy in memorable circumstances the last time the rivals went head-to-head on the last day of a major championship.
Jason Day is the leading Australian chance, sitting in a tie for sixth back at five-under.
McIlroy shot a six-under 66 to lead the Masters after 54 holes and is well positioned to finally slip on an elusive Green Jacket. His round two eagles and a spectacular start, where he went birdie-eagle-birdie en route to becoming the first player to begin a round at the Masters with six consecutive threes.
McIroy has won the other three majors of golf – the Open, the US Open and the US PGA – but his best finish at Augusta National is a second-place in 2022. His last major victory was in 2014 and the painful saga of McIroy chasing his next major victory has been an ongoing storyline in golf since.
If McIroy can win on Monday, he would join a prestigious club of players who have won all four majors in their career – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits his tee shot on the fourth hole.Credit: AP
Having led at 54-holes major tournaments on six occasions, McIlroy won four times.
But adding to the tension, DeChambeau will be stalking him in a blockbuster final pairing – and the LIV star will have the home crowd behind him.
The quirky US golfer birdied three of the last four holes and sank a 15-metre birdie putt on the 18th to finish with a round of 69, sending the gallery – and himself – into a frenzy.
The last time the McIroy and DeChambeau were in the final group in a major, the American claimed the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.
It was a collapse from McIroy that made it happen, though, adding to the psychological drama of the Masters showdown. McIroy led by four but bogeyed three of his last four holes in the US Open, including a botched short putt on the 18th that gave DeChambeau the chance for victory.
“I think the big thing is not to make it a rematch and just stay in my own little world,” McIlroy said.
“I still have to remind myself that there’s a long way to go … I, just as much as anyone else, know what can happen on the final day here. 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.”
Day shot a round of 71 to stay in contention, but he’ll have to shoot low and hope the top groups falter to be any chance of winning.
Meanwhile, Min Woo Lee’s Masters chances were derailed after the Australian copped a one-shot penalty and was put on the clock for slow third-round play.
Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole.Credit: AP
The Australian carded a five-over-par 77 on Saturday to fall to four over for the tournament and out of contention.
He was penalised a shot at the 13th hole when officials deemed the ball moved after he addressed it with the club on the fairway.
Lee copped the penalty on the chin but was clearly miffed by suggestions of slow play, explaining that the extended 20-minute gap imposed to the group ahead of them exaggerated the issue.
“They (Masters scheduling officials) gave us (Lee and playing partner Harris English) the gap between two of the groups,” he told AAP.
Min Woo Lee, of Australia, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole.Credit: AP
“It just looked bad on us, and the guys right behind were playing fast and so it looked terrible.”
Lee began well, scrambling a par from the trees and sand on the first and then moving to two under with a birdie on the third.
He almost holed out for eagle on approach to the fifth, but then three-putted to take bogey in a sign of things to come.
“It was okay for the first bit and we were on the clock and I think that got to me,” he said of his putting.
“Playing Augusta is already tough … we played nine holes in two hours which is apparently really slow. That was tough and it just got to me.”
