After Saturday’s fireworks, only one thing stands between Rory mcilroy and redemption.
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Saturday night will be The first night of this kind for Rory Mcilroy in over a decade. As for him, it may also be the first time he has gone through what he expects tonight while he sleeps in the 54-year lead in the masters of 2025.
The last time Mcilroy slept in the advantage of the Augusta National It was a Saturday in 2011, the night before it shot 80 in the last round. He has not slept in a solo lead in a major since 2014 when he won the PGA championship in Valhalla.
“That was 14 years ago,” said Mcilroy, who shot a six under 66 to lead two over Bryson Dechambeau, said after being asked what he did in 2011. “I have no idea. Again, I am pleased to have a short reminder.”
Mcilroy began on Saturday two leaders of the leader with 36 holes Justin Rose, but the Northern Ireland quickly took control of the tournament with a bird in the first and an eagle with the chip in the second. Mcilroy made the master’s story becoming The first player to make six threes to open a round in Augusta National. Mcilroy’s leadership jumped between one and four shootings for the rest of the day in motion, and his wonderful iron 6 to raise the eagle at 15 seemed to be an early dagger after Mcilroy distanced himself from a leader filled with great samples and superstars.
Mcilroy passed all on Saturday sending roars by trampling through Augusta National. When the dust settled, he had a lead with two strokes over Dechambeau. He runs from four over the Corey Conners, six over Patrick Reed and Ludwig åberg and has a supremacy with seven blows to Scottie Scheffler and Jason Day.
“His power of fire and his ability to hit the right blow at the right time, some sort of get on the run, was impressive for the players and again today,” said Conners, who played with Mcilroy on Saturday after the round. “He will definitely be difficult to try and follow.”
The day has competed against Mcilroy for nearly two decades. Australian had numerous chances in the back of the ninth Saturday to close the gap, but a noise in 16 and clumsy mistakes left at 13 and 15 left it with a wide noise to cover.
The day heard Mcilroy make his early movement on Saturday. While he said they were not noisy “Tiger”, he knows that Sunday’s task is monumental, especially given how Mcilroy played two double Bogeys on Thursday.
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“I feel like he can get back to us a little,” Dita said. “But once again, Sundays in Augusta are different from any other tour. You never know what can happen potentially. I know that if you shoot a low, you can use the crowd as a moment, and it also works against you, you can also start listening to the crowd through golf.
“He looks like he is very focused and run by the level now, and he will be a very person, very difficult to beat tomorrow, just as he is watching the golf course before the round. Very safe, very balanced in itself.”
Åberg spent the first two days playing alongside Mcilroy. The new Swedish superstar felt as if he put himself back in the mixture with three straight birds in the nine back, but Mcilroy just extended his once åberg leader left the course.
“I’ve said it before, I think when he plays his best golf, it’s hard to catch him,” åberg said. “I don’t think there are many boys in this world who can catch him when he plays to the maximum. We all saw him. Whenever he enters the way he really plays well, he is a really good golf player.”
On Sunday, Mcilroy will reach Augusta National with a chance to catch its big drought that is now in the 11th year. He will also seek to become the first player from Tiger Woods to win the Grand Slam career and the first since Gene Sarazen to reach Augusta National.
Sunday is an inheritance day for Rory Mcilroy and Golf. He knows it. This is how everyone else does.
“I mean, he is the best player of our generation for sure,” said day, admitting that Mcilroy should be in the Golf Mount of Ruymore if he wins Sunday. “He just makes things look so easy.
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“You look at his outcome today, he was, what, with four sub-sides through three holes, and then some kind of fault and then all of a sudden he makes three on the sidewalk. It’s not easy there. It is very difficult there. There is little smell. Do something like that.
Mcilroy left the 15th green after his eagle with a five-shot lead over Dechambeau. If that bay had remained, Mcilroy would have been paired again with Conners on Sunday. In place trim the lead to two and place it What has the products of a comprehensive duel on Sunday in Augusta National.
“It will be the biggest phase we have had in a long time, and I’m excited about it,” Dechambeau said after the round. “We both want to win really, really bad, and it’s – shoot, there are many great players behind us.
