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Rory McIlroy Made Masters History During Incredible Third Round

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 4:09 PM ET

Golf fans around the world are rooting for Rory McIlroy to complete the career Grand Slam this weekend at the Masters, and he is well on his way with a big day on Saturday.

McIlroy is off to a blistering start to his third round on Saturday, making six consecutive threes on his scorecard. It's the first time in the near century-long history of the Masters that a player has accomplished the feat.

McIlroy began the day with a birdie on the par-four first before making an eagle on the second hole, a par-five. He chipped the ball in just from the back of the green, making one of the highlights of the event so far.

After the eagle on two, McIlroy split the next four holes with two birdies and two pars each. The stellar display has McIlroy as the clubhouse leader through six holes on Saturday, pacing ahead of Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose.

The Masters tournament is the only major to elude McIlroy during his illustrious career. He's also looking for his first major win since 2014, when he won both the PGA Championship and the Open Championship.

If McIlroy is able to hold on and win this weekend, he would become just the sixth player to win the career slam in the history of modern golf. The five who have done it so far include Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen.

AUGUSTA, GA - APRIL 03: A Masters pin flag is displayed during a practice round prior to the start of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 3, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)Rob Carr/Getty Images

McIlroy has found a way to bounce back after a tough start to the tournament, shooting a 66 in yesterday's second round before today's hot start.

“I think overall just proud of myself with how I responded today after the finish last night," he said after his bogey-free round on Friday.

“I just had to remind myself that I played really good golf yesterday, and you know, I wasn’t going to let, you know, two bad holes sort of dictate the narrative for the rest of the week. But yeah, just ultimately proud of how I got back into it today.”

McIlroy is absolutely in the hunt, and he's now the leader on moving day. We'll see if he can finish the job, and add another major trophy to one of the greatest golf careers we've ever seen.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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