AUGUSTA, Ga. — Historical past awaits Rory McIlroy.
A profession Grand Slam sits a tantalizing 18 holes away.
Someday earlier than 3 p.m. Sunday, McIlroy will stand on the primary tee within the ultimate pairing of the day at Augusta Nationwide on the precipice of historical past, with an opportunity to change into solely the sixth participant ever to win all 4 main championships.
He’s gained two PGA Championships, one U.S. Open and one British Open.
The Masters has been the elusive one, just like the lady you’ve been asking out for years who retains rejecting you.
This week is McIlroy’s eleventh try at finishing the profession Slam by profitable his first Masters. His final main championship got here in 2014.
Now, after a positively electrical third-round 66, McIlroy takes a two-shot lead into the ultimate spherical with an opportunity to stamp his title in historical past.
He has an opportunity to exorcize some demons at Augusta, which has been a spot of extra heartbreak than exhilaration for him in his 16 begins earlier than this week.
Sunday will mark the primary time McIlroy enters the ultimate spherical of a significant championship with the lead since 2014 when he gained his final main, the PGA.
To get it performed, cross that line and make historical past, McIlroy should overcome his personal nerves and scar tissue in addition to Bryson DeChambeau, who birdied three of the ultimate 4 holes Saturday, together with burying a bomb of a birdie putt on 18 to inch inside two photographs.
McIlroy is 12-under. DeChambeau is 10-under. Canadian Corey Conners is 8-under. Patrick Reed and Ludvig Åberg are 6-under and defending champion Scottie Scheffler is amongst 4 gamers at 5-under.
All of it units up an absolute dream final-round showdown towards DeChambeau, the participant who defeated him within the ultimate spherical of final 12 months’s U.S. Open and devastated McIlroy a lot that he bolted from Pinehurst refusing to talk to reporters.
It, too, is a showdown between the perfect of the PGA Tour and the perfect of its rival, LIV Golf.
Scrumptious, each morsel of it.
“It’ll be the grandest stage we’ve had in a very long time and I’m actually excited for it,’’ DeChambeau stated. “We each wish to win actually badly. It’s going to be electrical on the market.’’
It’s tough to pack extra epic storylines into one ultimate spherical than what awaits on Sunday.
“That was enjoyable … what desires are product of,’’ DeChambeau stated. “I couldn’t ask for something extra.’’
Nor may anybody who loves golf.
The place do you begin with McIlroy’s scintillating Saturday?
“It was an superior day and it clearly places me in an excellent place,’’ McIlroy stated.
Together with his begin to the day — birdie on No. 1, chip-in eagle on No. 2, birdie on No. 3 and birdie on No. 5 for a 5-under begin on the primary 5 holes?
With six consecutive 3s on his card to start out the spherical — one thing nobody within the 89-year historical past of the Masters has ever performed?
of the third spherical of the Masters. Getty Photos
Or with the eagle he made on the par-5 fifteenth gap to get to 12-under and take a commanding four-shot lead with three holes to play within the spherical?
This was, with out query, one of the vital hair-raising rounds of golf ever performed across the fabled theater of completely manicured greenness.
“A dream begin,’’ McIlroy stated.
How will McIlroy deal with all of it Sunday — the 11-year main drought, the chase for historical past, the showdown with DeChambeau?
“The massive factor is to not make it a match, to remain in my very own little world,’’ McIlroy stated. “There are another gamers on that leaderboard that may make a run. I simply need to do what I’ve been doing and encompass myself in my very own cocoon.
“[DeChambeau] will do what he does and I simply have to remain agency.’’
What makes the place McIlroy sits proper now much more spectacular and memorable is what unfolded on the finish of his opening spherical.
McIlroy was 4-under par getting into the par-5 fifteenth gap and proceeded to double-bogey 15 after which double-bogey No. 17 to soften away these 4 strokes and go house with a demoralizing even-par spherical.
The end left him seven photographs behind first-round chief Justin Rose, who posted a 7-under-par 65.
McIlroy was furious afterward, turned up Friday with a transparent thoughts and charged to a 6-under par 66 to vault himself proper again into rivalry.
He started the third spherical three photographs behind Rose and, after 4 holes, he had a two-shot lead.
One other factor to think about when McIlroy tees it up Sunday is 2011.
Sure, it was a very long time in the past, however that’s when McIlroy entered the ultimate spherical with a four-stroke lead at 12-under. He’d led or had a share of the lead after every of the primary three rounds and ended up taking pictures 80 on Sunday and ending tied for fifteenth.
McIlroy cried when he obtained off the course that day.
Will we see tears of pleasure from him this time on this Sunday night?
