Rory McIlroy made himself the man to beat in the 89th Masters thanks to a sensational start to his third round at Augusta National.
McIlroy began the day two shots behind Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose, but raced to the turn in 32 to open up a two-shot lead over US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.
Needing to win a coveted green jacket to become just the sixth player to complete a career grand slam, McIlroy holed from 10 feet for birdie on the first and unleashed a 370-yard drive down the par-five second before chipping in for an eagle from just over the green.
The short par-four third offered another early birdie opportunity and McIlroy took advantage after a deftly controlled pitch to six feet, before a birdie on the fifth meant he had covered the first five holes in five under par.
Such an exhilarating start drew a rapturous reaction from Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon, who McIlroy visited for a lesson before last year’s Masters.
“Oh my god, is this Disneyland or is this golf?” Harmon said on Sky Sports. “It’s the magic kingdom here.”
McIlroy’s lead reached a peak of four shots when DeChambeau followed birdies on the first and second with dropped shots on the third and seventh, but the Northern Irishman then bogeyed the eighth and missed from four feet for a birdie on the ninth.
DeChambeau then two-putted for birdie on the par-five eighth to reduce the gap to two.
McIlroy’s performance was all the more impressive given that an opening 72 had left him seven shots off the lead and with the odds firmly stacked against him.
It was the seventh consecutive year McIlroy had been six or more shots back after round one, with just one of the last 19 Masters champions – Sergio Garcia in 2017 – being more than four shots behind after 18 holes.
Only two men in history have come from seven behind after 18 holes to win, Nick Faldo in 1990 and Woods in 2005, but McIlroy had given himself a chance to join that illustrious duo thanks to a second round of 66.
A third round of 66 earlier on Saturday had seen former champion Zach Johnson surge through the field, the 2007 winner beating his previous lowest round in the Masters by two shots.
The 49-year-old holed from 40 feet for eagle on the par-five second and from a similar distance for par on the fourth after his birdie attempt failed to climb the slope to the hole and rolled back towards him.
Johnson did drop a shot on the par-three sixth, but then birdied the ninth, 10th, 12th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th before making a bogey on the 17th.
