Rory McIlroy Leads Masters By 2, One Round Away From Career Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy has been chasing this moment at The Masters for a long, long time. After winning his third career Major Championship at the 2014 Open, the career Grand Slam seemed like a fait accompli.

But something about Augusta National Golf Club has always stymied the 35-year-old from Northern Ireland. He's come agonizingly close to getting the Green Jacket, finishing in the Top 10 seven different times.

And now, as we enter the final round of the 2025 edition of The Masters, McIlroy is positioned better than he's ever been. He's the clubhouse leader after a remarkable 6-under, 66 Saturday in the third round, giving him a two-shot cushion heading into the final day. He trailed by three strokes going into the third round.

Joining him in Sunday's final pairing will be a familiar face: Bryson DeChambeau. The two squared off in an epic back-and-forth battle at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, and while they weren't in the same pairing, the battle was still intense. DeChambeau won that battle after a series of remarkable shots in the final holes.

DeChambeau had a strong round of 3-under, 69, including an insane putt on the final hole for birdie.

Justin Rose, the leader after the first and second rounds, could never find his groove Saturday. He's still somehow in the Top 10, but he's certainly wishing he had a couple of strokes back.

And lest we get too far ahead of ourselves (the champion the last 8 years has come from the final pairing), we can't dismiss Corey Conners (-8) or Patrick Reed (-6). We'd be remiss if we just cast aside Ludvig Aberg (-6). And it's never smart to completely dismiss Scottie Scheffler, even if he is seven shots back at 5-under.

All told, 21 golfers had red-number rounds under par in the third round. Most impressive among those was Zach Johnson, who came back from just on the cut line to fire an impressive 66, tied for the low mark of the day.

The only thing more impressive was McIlroy's impressive start to the day, where he became the first golfer in Masters history to card a 3 on the first six holes. That's birdie-eagle-birdie-par-birdie-par. Another birdie on 13 and another eagle on 15 set him up on top comfortably.

But this year is likely going to come down to two of the hottest golfers on the planet, Rory McIlroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau. It's going to be a Sunday to remember at The Masters.