McIlroy leads by two heading into Masters final round

Rory McIlroy charged to the Masters lead with a historic start to Saturday’s third round, then held on through Augusta National’s back nine to stand two clear atop the leaderboard heading into the final round.

McIlroy had two eagles and four birdies in a six-under-par 66 and with a 12-under total of 204 was poised to strike Sunday for a long coveted green jacket that would see him become just the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam.

McIlroy’s first eagle of the day was at the par-five second, part of six straight threes to open his round — a first in Masters history.

His second eagle at the par-five 15th, where he stuck his approach six feet from the pin, was the first of the day there and pushed his lead back to four strokes after it had dwindled to one thanks to bogeys at the eighth and 10th.

He’ll play in the final group on Sunday with US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who birdied three of the last four holes for a three-under 69 and a 10-under total of 206.

Canadian Corey Conners was alone in third after a two-under-par 70 for 208 — two strokes clear of former Masters champion Patrick Reed and last year’s runner-up Ludvig Aberg.

McIlroy, who started the day two strokes behind overnight leader Justin Rose, needed just two holes to catapult himself past Rose and DeChambeau, who had tied Rose at eight-under with a birdie at the first.

Rose and DeChambeau were just finishing up on the first green when McIlroy chipped in from 18 yards out at the second.

He had taken advantage of a monster drive at the first, where he rolled in a 10-foot putt to secure a birdie

McIlroy kept the magic flowing with a seven-foot birdie putt at the third. After a two-putt par at the par-three fourth, he drilled an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-four fifth, then two-putted for par at the par-three sixth.

The run of threes on his scorecard ended at the par-four seventh, where he was deep in the trees off the tee and muscled a mighty second shot 152 yards to the left of the green, from where he got up and down for par.

“A dream start,” McIlroy said, adding that he was just trying to keep it going.

He led by as many as four before his first bogey of the day at the par-five eighth — where his tee shot landed in the face of a fairway bunker.

It was McIlroy’s first dropped shot since a double bogey on 17 on Thursday and he dropped another at the 10th before regaining the momentum with a birdie at 13.

“The course got pretty tricky toward the end,” McIlroy said. “(There was) a bit of a wobble around the turn, but I played a great, solid back nine.”

McIlroy’s blistering start had eclipsed a strong opening for DeChambeau, who rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt at the first and two-putted for birdie at the second but still found himself trailing.

Even for the day through 14 holes, DeChambeau started his late push with a five-foot birdie at the 15th. He drilled a birdie putt at the par-three 16th and then drained a near 50-foot putt from the fringe at the last.

“That’s what dreams are made of right there,” DeChambeau said. “Two behind — couldn’t ask for more.”

Conners, playing alongside McIlroy, had some trouble getting going as McIlroy was burning up the front nine.

One-over through nine afer a birdie and two bogeys, Conners launched a run of three straight birdies with a 15-footer at the eighth. He rolled in a seven-foot birdie at the ninth and tapped in for birdie at 10, then parred his way home to put himself in the hunt for a first major title.

It was a disappointing day for Rose, who battled to a three-over-par 75 that left him seven strokes back, tied with defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Jason Day and Shane Lowry.

Scheffler had to grind to an even-par 72 that featured two birdies and two bogeys.

“At times I felt good, at times I felt bad,” said Scheffler, who came into the week hoping to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back Masters winners.

“I just couldn’t really get anything going. I think I ended up with even, which felt like I had to scramble a lot today, actually.”