Rory McIlroy hangs on for share of lead after madcap third round

Rory McIlroy reacts on the 18th green after an eventful third round, in which his six-shot advantage was wiped out - Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Rory McIlroy saw a six-shot lead whittled down to naught here on Saturday. Yet if that sounds as if it was a terrible day for the defending champion then that belied the relief on his face as he finished this madcap third round.

In a wild, low-scoring drama on a layout softened by the generous, if slightly baffling hosing of the Augusta greens, McIlroy contrived to squander his huge advantage and actually fall behind. And then with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th, he thrust his way back to the top. But then he lost it again.

It was exhausting, excruciating even. The best you could say about McIlroy’s one-over 73 was that it was gutsy in places and he putted well sporadically. Nothing else, though.

He is the only member of the top 15 who did not break par and if he is to become just the fourth player in Masters history to retain his title – joining the club of Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods – then he has to sort out his driving. To be frank, he is spraying it all over the property.

World No 3 Cameron Young is also on 11 under after a 65, while there is another American in Sam Burns one further back after a 68. Next on nine under is McIlroy’s fellow Irishman and great friend Shane Lowry. His own 68 was highlighted by a hole-in-one on the sixth. Lowry claimed a bit of Masters history as the first player in the tournament to capture multiple aces. A decade ago, he brought the patrons on the 16th to their feet.

This moment was a central storyline in the theatre, but for so long for McIlroy it seemed – to adapt the Masters motto – a perdition like no other. This is not the first time that Augusta National has turned a procession into a recession for the pacesetter and into a cavalry chase for the rest. And it was not the first time that McIlroy had seen his lead gobbled up and spat back in his face.

McIlroy knows from his own experience that shots here can scatter like confetti on the breeze. And if he cannot remember 2011, when he fired that final-round 80 – and believe it, he can – then this Saturday roller coaster can serve as a timely reminder.

From the off, his record six-shot advantage became two in less than half an hour. Patrick Reed, his sometime nemesis, birdied the first three and with McIlroy bogeying the first and failing to birdie the par-five second, the yawning gap was suddenly tighter.

No matter. Reed began to fade away, with his putter being anything but obliging (the 2018 champion eventually finished with a 72 on seven under and is not yet out of it) and after McIlroy hit a rare good drive on to the green at the par-four third and made his first birdie of the day, his scoreboard superiority was back to four. Not what it was, but healthy enough.

But then, over the next few hours, his game unravelled. McIlroy’s driving remained wayward – he went out near the bottom of the accuracy stats – but alarmingly his approach play began to follow suit. First, it was rescued by his short game, as he made sand saves on the fourth and seventh, and when he holed yet another six-footer on the 10th, he was one under for the day and 13 under overall.

But, again, he pushed his drive on the 11th and got away with it ricocheting off a tree and into the fairway. The one thing you do not do on this par four is flirt with the left side, even if that is where the hole is cut. McIlroy did and it duly rolled into the water. McIlroy revealed on Friday night that Jack Nicklaus had given him some Augusta advice. “Jack told me, ‘No f------ double bogeys’,” McIlroy recounted. “Apparently, he thought I made too many last year.”

McIlroy made four doubles in 2025, the most by any Masters champion, and although he limited it to one in this third round, he also bogeyed the par-three 12 after a wild snatch with a wedge off the tee. And when Young birdied the 16th, the inevitable arrived.

At 5.32pm on the Saturday, McIlroy was not in the lead for the first time since Thursday afternoon. He was playing catch-up and did so with nerve, with those consecutive birdies. But his error-strewn play did not really warrant outright leadership and the bogey on 17th gave Young just desserts.

To think, Young, who played with McIlroy in the opening two rounds, was four over after his first seven holes on Thursday. For the 48 holes thereafter, he is 15 under. Young proved his prowess at last month’s Players Championship, denying England’s Matt Fitzpatrick. Of course, McIlroy won at Sawgrass on his way to the Green Jacket 12 months ago.

The closest Young has come in a major was at the 2022 Open at St Andrews, when he eagled the last to finish one behind Cam Smith. McIlroy was broken-hearted, another shot away in third. Is this Young’s time?

Maybe, but on eight under is last year’s runner-up Justin Rose – the Englishman with a 69 – and then, on seven under, looms a chap called Scottie Scheffler. The world No 1 is only four back and having started 12 off the pace.

Afterwards, Scheffler was stunned that he was asked if he felt his 65 should have been lower. “That’s just a terrible question,” Scheffler said. “Next question. Awful.” When he composed himself, he explained why it is possible to make such huge leaps on this layout – and basically said it was because of the organisers and their watering cans.

“I mean, it was very firm the first day and I felt like they softened it pretty significantly yesterday. Today, definitely going out early, I was able to get some softer bounces.”

Will they allow it to firm up on Sunday and render it a much more difficult challenge? “It depends on what the leadership wants to do,” he said. “It really depends on what they decide to do with the greens. If they want to see some lower scores, they can make them softer.”

That would allow even more players to birdie and eagle their way into contention. This could be a classic Masters Sunday.

12:25am

More Rory reaction

Sky Sports’ Anna Jackson asked McIlroy about having the opportunity to go back-to-back at the Masters on Sunday.

It’s amazing. That was the goal coming in here. I still have a great chance. But if I’m going to win tomorrow I’m going to have to be a little bit better than I was today.

12:21am

Scottie does not do hypotheticals...

12:18am

Right then, will Rory get it done tomorrow?

12:18am

McIlroy: I’ll need to be better tomorrow

I knew today wasn’t going to be easy, the quality of the chasing pack was very obvious, a lot of the guys went out and played superb golf, starting with Scottie and then Cam and everyone else. I didn’t quite have it today even from the first hole making that soft bogey. I was doing my best to hang on, scrambled a lot on the front nine. I felt like I turned it around with the birdie on 10 ... felt like I hit a good second shot on 11 but it just starting to ride the wind. I bounced back well on 14 and 15 and [I am] disappointed to make a bogey in the last couple of holes.

I would have liked to have been in a better position going into tomorrow starting out with a six-shot lead but I still have a great chance. I’m in the final group which is exactly where you want to be. Wish I had a bit more of a cushion but I’m going to go to the range now and try to figure it out. I’ll need to be better tomorrow.

12:03am

McIlroy will start Sunday in co-lead with Young

Rory rolls his birdie attempt on 18 by the hole and cards a one-over-par 73. He was the only player in the top 19 who failed to break par and really took us through all the emotions today.

The Northern Irishman never got his swing together for any extended period of time, but managed to scramble and showed plenty of resilience to keep himself in it when others would have wilted, as he did back in 2011. He has often spoken effusively about the late, great Seve Ballesteros and he certainly showed some of the Spaniard’s grit today.

Burns makes a par and is just one back. A 68 for the American.

McIlroy was the only player in the top 19 to shoot over par - Brian Snyder/Reuters

11:57pm

Rose returns unblemished card

Rose finishes with a par to remain at eight under, just three behind the leaders. An unblemished 69 was understated but puts him within striking distance. He gained a lot of supporters after his magnanimity in defeat last year and was many people’s preferred champion coming into this week. A big round tomorrow would give him a chance of getting it done tomorrow.

Reed really fell away after making three birdies in his first three holes. His level par 72 will probably leave him with too much to do on Sunday.

Justin Rose is still in the hunt - Ashley Landis/AP

11:46pm

Rory bogeys the 17th

Every time McIlroy looks to have somewhat steadied the ship things have unravelled again. Another missed fairway on 17, this time to the left, forces McIlroy into an improvised shot that scurries over the back of the green. The subsequent chip is not up to much – certainly nothing to match the heroics of his chip-in on the same hole earlier this week – and he has to settle for a bogey.

11:41pm

Lowry turns in a 68

What a day it has been for the Irishman. Some stunning wedge-play has made for a thrilling round, but the highlight was, of course, the hole in one. What a moment.

Lowry celebrates his hole in one with Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood - Ashley Landis/AP

11:39pm

Rose still in the mix

Rose taps in for a par on the 17th. Without having had his best stuff today he finds himself “just” four back of McIlroy, which he probably would have taken at the start of the day.

11:35pm

Young: ‘I got tremendously fortunate on 13’

Cam Young stops for a chat with Sky Sports’ Anna Jackson:

I just happened to have a few come down really close today. Got a tremendously fortunate break on 13, instead of making six or seven I made four. [It was] just one of those days, I hit a bunch of really good shots but they don’t all have to end up close and today they happened to come down inside of six feet. The chip-in on four, that’s one of the ones you don’t really count on. I just had a few of those today.

The bounce-back started there on 15. I hit it in the water and after that, I know the wind, I know [how] it’s playing so I just went back and hit the same shot and did what I was trying to do the first time and made the put. The one on 16 to get the stroke back is a big one.

11:33pm

A par apiece for Burns and McIlroy on 16th

McIlroy leaves the ball under the hole and two putts for his par.

11:25pm

Rory bounces back to reclaim solo lead

We are seeing what the five-time major champion is made of here. After finding his first fairway on a par five at 15, he lasers a high draw into the green to set up a 23-foot eagle attempt. It is a beautifully struck putt, just missing the cup on the low side but with perfect pace. McIlroy had raised his putter expecting, or perhaps willing, the ball to drop, but it is a birdie and he has the sole lead again.

Burns flies the green and cannot get up and down. It is devilishly difficult from back there. He drops to nine under.

11:20pm

Li cards a 69 to finish on seven under

Brilliant at times, rugged at others. But Li is just four shots off the lead and still has a chance to challenge the guys at the top.

11:12pm

McIlroy draws level with Young

Fair play to McIlroy, he is still fighting. An iron shot into the heart of the 14th green just misses the slope that would have fed the ball towards the hole, but no matter, Rory makes the slick 19-foot putt to take back a share of the lead at 11 under.

11:09pm

A look back at Lowry’s three previous holes in one

Four holes in one is just a bit greedy, isn’t it?

Read more about Lowry’s aces here.

11:06pm

Leader Young pars 18th

Having accessed the top tier of the multi-layered 18th green, Young lags his put to within a couple of feet. He has been great value for his 65 today.

11:04pm

Ah, Rosey

Justin Rose pulls his drive on the 15th and swipes his club in frustration. Understandable, to be honest. Without doing anything particularly ghastly it just has not been his day.

11:01pm

McIlroy pars the 13th

It is all very messy for the Northern Irishman, but he bails himself out with a good chip. Burns birdies to join him at 10 under, one stroke behind Young.

McIlroy escapes the trees at the 13th hole - Hector Vivas/Getty Images

On to the 14th and McIlroy goes full send – and finds the fairway. I repeat, Rory McIlroy has found a fairway.

10:57pm

Lowry also finds the water

His approach on the 15th finds the drink, just as Young’s did. Harmon says he does not remember the hole ever playing this difficult and I would probably have to agree with him.

10:52pm

Young pars 17th

The 17th hole at Augusta is called Nandina, named after a shrub that the Japanese place near their front doors to bring about good fortune. You might find some of the stuff at Cameron Young’s house after some of the breaks he has had this week, but there is nothing lucky about his par putt on the 17th today, a solid eight-footer into the centre of the cup. He heads to the last with his one-stroke advantage in tact.

10:47pm

Rose makes birdie

It has turned into a relatively quiet day for the Rose-Reed pairing, but on 13 Rose atones for an overhit, albeit tricky, chip from the back of the green by holing the birdie putt back up the hill. Reed also birdies the par five.

10:45pm

McIlroy misses another fairway

The driver is hardest club with which to turn a golf ball over so perhaps it would have been instructive for McIlroy to take three-wood off the 13th tee? That is not his style, though. He will have to summon the spirit of Phil Mickelsen in 2010 to escape the trees having fanned his tee shot right. Butch Harmon reminds viewers that McIlroy is yet to find a fairway on a par five this week.

10:40pm

McIlroy bogeys 12 to give Young solo lead

How quickly things can change at Augusta National. Or, more specifically, Amen Corner, which claims its latest victim. McIlroy cannot get up and down at the 12th and Young finds himself in sole possession of the lead.

10:38pm

Young birdies to tie lead

You have to credit Young’s mentality – setbacks just do not seem to faze him. Having found the water on 15, he finds the upper tier where the pin is located on the 16th green and rolls in the birdie attempt from just under 30 feet.

10:35pm

Li unravelling up ahead

Amid the havoc unfolding on the back nine, Haotong Li finds the water for a second time in three holes, on the 13th and 15th holes.

10:32pm

And things do not get any better at Golden Bell

McIlroy’s two-way miss is playing with his head and on the par-three 12th he misses long and left.

10:31pm

McIlroy makes double bogey

In his autobiography My Life the “Voice of Golf” Peter Alliss describes five-putting from six feet on the 11th, and while McIlroy’s fate is not quite that severe he his unable to convert a bogey putt from 10 feet. The double bogey drops him down to 11 under and the lead is back to one stroke.

McIlroy makes a double-bogey six on the 11th hole - Kylie Cooper/Reuters

10:23pm

Rory finds the water, too

There is no way that McIlroy would have known what was going on ahead on the 15th, perhaps he would have played his second into the 11th differently if he had? I don’t think so, as it seems that his struggles are technical rather than tactical. Either way his ball finds the water to the left of the green.

I am not sure how much longer Rory McIlroy can keep this approach going, fanning almost every drive far out to the right. It is the Augusta equivalent of “bomb-and-gouge”, the approach that propelled Bryson DeChambeau to victory in the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot, prioritising maximum distance over accuracy. But it fails McIlroy at the 11th, as he squanders the luck of bouncing back on to the fairway after an errant tee shot by hitting his second into the water.

10:18pm

Huge mistake from Young

Even the golfing gods cannot save Young here, a real moment of madness. Having been forced to lay up on par-five 15th, Young’s approach from 112 yards only just makes it onto the front of the green. Masters aficionados will know that you just cannot miss it there and the ball rolls back, slowly, into the water.

Young chooses to reload from the same spot and, to his credit, coaxes his second attempt tight to the pin to make bogey.

10:12pm

Atta boy, Rory

Just as the lead had been cut to a single shot, McIlroy – who hit the turn at level for the day – responds with a birdie on the 10th, manufactured from a wonderful approach from 157 yards. There is still a little work to do on the green, but McIlroy makes no mistake from six feet. He goes to 13 under.

10:05pm

Young just one shot behind McIlroy

Young throws up yet another glorious approach shot, this time from 113 yards, and leaves himself a routine three-foot birdie putt, which drops as a matter of course. That six-shot lead has been reduced to just one stroke.

Cameron Young was four over for the first seven holes of his opening round but has played the rest in a staggering 15 under. Rory McIlroy needs to start correcting his driving radar, and soon, with the inscrutable New Yorker now cutting his lead to one. You wonder how significant Young’s stroke of fortune at the 13th, taking a ricochet off a pine tree after hooking his tee-shot way into the woods, will prove to be.

Cameron Young has torn into McIlroy’s lead - Mike Blake/Reuters

09:59pm

Li finds the drink on 13th

Li has played some fantastic stuff today but misjudges his approach into the 13th green and his ball rolls into the water.

09:54pm

Young reduces lead to two shots

The American two-putts for birdie after his stroke of luck on the 13th to get to 10 under and reduce the gap to the top to two strokes. Lowry birdies 10 to get back to nine under.

09:52pm

Scheffler: ‘I could have gotten more out of today’

I was able to hole a few putts and put myself in position. I feel like I was doing that on the back nine too, I could have gotten a few more [strokes] out of the round today. We’ll see what happens as the day progresses, but not out of it as of now.

09:49pm

Golfing gods look upon Young kindly

Cam Young’s first miscue of the day comes on the par-five 13th. The hole doglegs left and, in an attempt to cut the corner, Young pulls his drive into the trees that line that side of the hole. More often than not such a shot would require a drop or reload, but the trees spit the ball back out and it lands in the fairway.

Young has a steady head on young shoulders and he jumps on that slice of fortune, sending his second shot into the heart of the green. He will have a chance at eagle.

09:44pm

McIlroy misses birdie chance at eighth

When Rory is playing well these par fives are routine birdies, but his errant driving is really costing him. After finding the rough off the tee, he is forced to lay up and he cannot get up and down for birdie. Particularly disappointing as the eighth is playing the easiest of all 18 holes today – the field is averaging 4.61.

09:37pm

Lowry bogeys ninth

The Irishman had played another tidy chip having missed the green but pulls the par putt and drops back to eight under, four strokes off the lead.

09:27pm

Scheffler turns in a 65

The American has demonstrated his remarkable ball-striking today and may actually feel a little disappointed to have missed some decent birdie chances on the way in. Still, though, a fantastic round of golf – his lowest ever at the Masters – which has put him back in the mix.

Scottie Scheffler carded a 31 on his front nine on Saturday - Andrew Redington/Getty Images

09:23pm

Another McIlroy sand save, Lowry birdies

McIlroy ranks last for driving accuracy today, having found just two fairways thus far. He misses the short grass again, this time on the seventh, and finds the front bunker with his second shot. A wonderfully judged splash out though gives him his par.

Lowry, fresh off his hole in one, is a demon around the green with his 60-degree wedge and he gets up and down for a birdie on the par-five eighth.

09:16pm

Hole-in-one hero Lowry soaks up the acclaim

Lowry made an ace on the par-three sixth hole - Ashley Landis/AP

09:12pm

Young gets to nine under

Cameron Young makes birdie on the tricky 10th hole thanks to a wonderful iron shot to eight feet and he joins Li three shots behind McIlroy.

09:09pm

McIlroy scrambling again

Rory may have steadied the ship but he is still leaking errors. On the par three-sixth, he misses the green on the short side by quite some distance, but is able to coax his pitch to within five feet and taps in for par.

09:06pm

Fleetwood drops in a birdie

Fleetwood had not really kicked on after making birdie on two (there were bogeys on the fourth and six holes) but he drains a 15-foot birdie putt on the seventh to get back to level par for his round and five under total.

09:01pm

Lowry is the first player to hit multiple hole in ones at Masters

08:57pm

Li up to second

Haotong Li has been making serene progress through the front nine, collecting three birdies in his first five holes. He adds an eagle on the eighth hole and is now within three shots of the lead.

08:55pm

Morikawa holes out on 15

It is all happening at Augusta National! Morikawa, at one under, holes out from 94 yards at the par-five 15th for eagle.

08:52pm

McIlroy saves par on fourth hole

Away from all that excitement McIlroy gets up and down from the greenside bunker at the par-three fourth and maintains his four-shot lead. Reed’s charge has cooled and he bogeys to drop down to seven under.

While his mate was celebrating his hole-in-one on the sixth, Rory McIlroy made a great up-and-down from the back of the bunker on the fourth to stay four clear of the group in second, that now includes Mr Ace, Shane Lowry.

08:42pm

Hole in one alert!

Shane Lowry makes an ace on the sixth! It is the seventh on the hole in Masters history. He lasers his effort into the 180-yard par three, with his ball taking a hop and skip before rolling in. There is a big celebration and hug from Fleetwood, plus a jig at the hole as Lowry retrieves his ball.

Lowry has made a hole in one at the Masters before, at the 16th in 2016.

08:35pm

Reed bogeys

Reed fails to get up and down on five and the gap at the top is back to four strokes.

08:34pm

Rose shows off his short game prowess

Last year’s runner-up hits his tee shot on the par-three fourth so pure, too pure in fact and sends his ball well over the green. “That’s my best seven-wood ever,” he says. But the bump and run he plays next is exceptional, just shaving the edge of the hole and it is a par.

08:29pm

Rory responds

Onto the short par-four third and there is no doubt in McIlroy’s mind: he is going for the green with his tee shot – and he finds it, his ball coming in from the right, taking the contours of the green. He leaves his eagle effort but just short but it is a birdie and he is three ahead of Reed.

Burns does well to bounce back from a duffed pitch to save par.

08:21pm

McIlroy’s lead cut to two shots

It would be advisable for McIlroy not to look at the leaderboard right now.

Rose drops in a birdie on the third moments before Burns makes birdie on the second. Reed makes one of his own to start birdie-birdie-birdie and McIlroy’s lead is cut to two shots.

08:16pm

Rory and Scottie find trouble

McIlroy’s tee shot ended up in the pine straw 252-yards out from the hole and his second goes well left into a crowd of patrons. He has plenty of green to work with but puts too much on his flop shot, which dribbles to the other side of the green, perfect for Sunday’s pin position but not today. From there he two-putts for par.

Up ahead Scheffler’s second shot into the par-five 13th finds the bunker located behind the green. It is treacherously difficult from there and his splash out is a touch shy. Will do well to make birdie from there.

08:05pm

A case of the rights

McIlroy leaks another drive right, just managing to clear the fairway bunker. A nervy start from the Northern Irishman.

McIlroy takes the scenic route around the second hole - Mike Blake/Reuters

08:04pm

Burns birdies, Clark eagles

McIlroy’s playing partner makes birdie on the first and joins Reed at seven under. Up ahead on the third hole Clark does indeed hole his eagle putt after that fantastic drive.

08:01pm

McIlroy opens with a bogey

The defending champion leaves himself with an eight-foot par putt which he rolls past the hole. A bogey to start, the lead is down to five.

08:00pm

Clark almost makes an albatross

Wyndham Clark’s drive on the 350-yard par-three third makes it all the way on to the green but just comes up short of the hole. That would have been some tee shot.

07:58pm

Rory flies the first green

Have heard many people commenting that this would be the golfing equivalent of Devon Loch if Rory McIlroy was not to win here on Sunday. That is nonsense. Devon Loch was a complete one-off - McIlroy certainly would not be. Two examples. Greg Norman was six clear going into the final round of this tournament 30 years ago - and lost by five. At the 1966 US Open, Arnold Palmer was eight clear with nine to play - and lost. This is golf and it happens.

07:53pm

McIlroy opens with a drive into the first cut

The leader leaves his tee shot out to the right and misses the fairway by 10 yards or so. Should not have any problems accessing the pin, though. Burns eases a fade into the fairway.

Up ahead on the green, Rose misses his birdie try and has to settle for par.

07:51pm

Scheffler birdies 11 – the most difficult hole on the course

The field is averaging 4.37 on the daunting par-four 11th, so naturally Scheffler goes and birdies it. A wonderful iron shot takes the camber of the green and leaves an eight-foot putt for birdie that Scheffler drops in. He is looking even more ominous now heading to the par-three 12th.

07:47pm

Young chips in

Having flown the green on the par-three fourth, Cameron Young found himself with a tricky chip down the hill. Not to worry, though, as the American reads the left-to-right break to perfection with a chip that finds the centre of the cup. He is six under now.

07:41pm

Rose and Reed tee off

Another huge Ryder Cup-style pairing who could spur each other on to something special today. Both players find the short grass with their drives. Just McIlroy and Burns to go now.

Rose came ever so close to claiming his first Masters title last year. Here is a reminder of his Augusta record:

07:38pm

OK, so he is human

Scheffler’s towering 151-yard approach shot into the 10th green sets up an eight-foot birdie attempt, which just shaves the edge of the cup.

07:35pm

Scheffler on the prowl

This move by Scottie Scheffler is starting to feel potentially significant. While the world No 1 has been anonymous so far, he has sounded optimistic about his game, claiming he merely needed to hole more putts to contend over the weekend. It is a prophecy fulfilled, as a run of three straight birdies, which included almost holing his second shot at the ninth, propels him into a share of fourth. It is far too early to predict Sunday pairings, but a duel for the Green Jacket between Scheffler and Rory McIlroy is a tantalising prospect. They have yet to wage a serious head-to-head match with a major title on the line.

07:27pm

Hatton and Clark get underway

Meaning there are just three pairings yet to tee off. Here they are:

07:21pm

Scheffler goes out in 31

Three birdies and an eagle get the two-time Masters champion to five under. To put that into perspective, Scheffler’s 31 is just one stroke shy of the Masters front-nine record. He is still seven shots off the lead but if there is anyone McIlroy will not want to see in his rear-view mirror it is Scheffler.

07:18pm

Some food for thought

07:16pm

Scheffler lips out ...from 160 yards

That was a simply superb iron shot from the American who has left himself a four-footer to get to five under.

07:08pm

‘I visited the Masters shop where patrons are spending $1m an hour’

A strange psychedelic counterculture has taken root at the Masters. It involves spectators swarming through the gates at 7.30am on the dot, their speed-walking – no running at Augusta, remember – explained less by the allure of the first tee than the temptations of the club shop, a golfing Hamleys on steroids. After an hour or so, they return to their cars clutching four bags in each hand, all stuffed with everything from garish garden gnomes to azalea-scented candles. Finally, their wallets lightened, they deign to watch some golf.

Outside times of national emergency, it is the closest you will see to panic-buying. Except the craze springs not from end-of-days angst, but a desire among everybody with a patron’s badge to tell their families, their distant acquaintances, even their pets: “I was there.” Fancy a natty collar for your golden retriever? An entire range in Master green awaits you. How about some pyjamas adorned with Augusta-themed postage-stamp artwork? Yours to cherish, in any number of pastel colours.

The genius of the arrangement is that this is the only place in the world where you can stock up on official Masters memorabilia. There is no online shopfront, just a vast whitewashed building where an estimated $1m rings through the tills every hour. Come Sunday night, over $70m (£52m) in Masters paraphernalia will have been snaffled by a fortunate few desperate for tangible reminders of this manicured Arcadia. It is a mind-boggling number for merchandise sales, with Augusta making at least 30 per cent more in a week than the nearby Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team do in a year.

Read more from Oliver Brown’s visit to the Masters shop here.

07:00pm

Rahm cards a 73

A mixed bag from the Spaniard today: three birdies, four bogeys and 11 pars. Rahm has struggled to transfer his LIV Golf form to the Augusta National and sits at five over.

An unspectacular round for the 2023 Masters champion - Chris Torres/Shutterstock

06:51pm

Fitzpatrick pours in long birdie putt

The Englishman backs up his four on the par-five second with a lengthy effort for birdie on four. It was a nasty downhill putt, but Fitzpatrick gets the line right and he jumps up to 14th on the leaderboard at three under.

06:47pm

McIlroy: ‘I just have to stay in my own little world’

Amanda Balionis caught up with Rory McIlroy as he arrived at the practice area.

“I think it’s just trying to keep playing the way I’ve been playing. Try to stay loose, try to stay free, trusting, committed , all the things that I’ve been trying to concentrate on on the first two days.

“There’s still a long way to go. I’ve gotten off to this great start which is wonderful but there’s a lot of golf ahead of all of us and a lot of things can happen on this golf course. So I just have to stay in my own little world today and tomorrow.

“I know the game is there. It’s just a matter of managing myself and making the right decision when I need to. If I can do that then hopefully everything will work out.”

Rory McIlroy gears up for his third round - Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

06:26pm

Fitzpatrick shows off his touch

The Englishman flies the green at hole two, leaving himself a treacherous downhill chip. No problem for him though as he coaxes his ball to within a couple of feet and a tap-in birdie. He is at two under.

06:21pm

A decade on from Willett’s win

Firstly, how has it been 10 years? It feels like yesterday that the Yorkshireman snatched the 2016 Masters from Jordan Spieth’s grasps. Here he is reliving the best win of his career.

06:17pm

Harman showing what’s possible

Leftie Brian Harman is four-under for his round having just birdied 14. It has been good playing from the American who has made just one bogey today. Meanwhile Rasmus Hojgaard reels off his fourth consecutive birdie, draining a 25-foot putt on 16.

06:11pm

Scheffler interrupted by alarm

A moment of light relief on the tee box at five. Scheffler backs off his drive after being interrupted by what sounds like a car alarm. He shares a laugh with the patrons before sending his tee shot into one of the left-side fairway bunkers.

06:06pm

Hovland birdies 12

The Norwegian flies his tee shot some 10 feet past the pin, right on line, and drops in the birdie putt.

05:58pm

Aberg drops in a birdie

As many have noted already, some of these pairings really have a Ryder Cup feel to them. Aberg-Scheffler is one of them and the Swede brings his “match” with the American back to all-square with a birdie on the short par-four third.

Both players were able to get their drives within the general proximity of the green and it will be interesting to see how the later starters approach their tee shots.

Aberg finished second and seventh in his previous Masters appearances - Hector Vivas/Getty Images

05:53pm

Birdie chances at Golden Bell

Early scoring suggests players are enjoying Saturday’s pin position on 12. The hole is cut to the left side of the green and the first players through are averaging 2.75. Maverick McNealy the latest to birdie the hole.

05:46pm

Scheffler makes eagle

Scottie Scheffler and Ludwig Aberg is a blockbuster pairing and the former backs up a par on the first with an eagle on the par-five second thanks to a glorious approach shot. Aberg starts par-par.

05:40pm

Nadal: ‘I cried when Rory won’

Rafael Nadal, the 22-time tennis grand slam champion and avid golfer, has been on-site this week and has described his delight at watching Rory McIlroy’s 2025 Masters triumph.

“Honestly, I was crying at home when he won,” he told CNN. “I got very emotional, I suffered with him. I love Rory. I admire him as an athlete and a person and I was looking forward to him winning. He deserved it.”

Rafael Nadal has been at Augusta National this week - Getty Images

05:33pm

Flurry of birdies for Bradley

Keegan Bradley, the 2025 US Ryder Cup captain, finishes his front nine with four consecutive birdies having opened with two bogeys in his first four holes. Sitting at level par.

05:22pm

More bad luck for Schwartzel

He nearly slam-dunks a hole in one on the 12th, but it just hits the flagstick, slides down it and ends up about 15ft from the hole. There has been no hole in one for 38 years on Golden Bell.

05:20pm

Straka going well

Par, birdie, birdie, par puts him at two under for the day and one under for the tournament.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

This is as close as he gets to a home major tournament. The Austrian has an American mother and he went to school and University in Georgia.

05:14pm

A double bogey for Schwartzel

He tugged his tee shot into the trees (147 yards) and then had to play out. He is on eight over for the tournament, bottom and level with Kitayama.

04:57pm

More woe for Kitayama

He is now bringing up the rear on his own after a double bogey on the 11th, thanks to an approach that found the water on the left of the green and then missing a four-foot putt for bogey.

04:47pm

Scrap that...

Another birdie for Penge, at the third, puts him at even for the tournament. A long, green-high drive is followed by a tidy chip and he then sinks the six-footer for birdie.

Brian Harman is back to one over after a birdie on hole eight.

04:46pm

Birdie-bogey start for Marco Penge

The Englishman has had a fine 12 months or so and is ranked at 38th in the world. This is his first Masters, having played in three Opens (missed the cut in all) and one US PGA in 2025 (tied for 28th). It’s the top 12 and ties who are invited to next year’s event and at one over for the tournament he is five shots off that at the moment.

04:30pm

Not many of the current players making light work of Augusta National

Brian Harman was three under for the day but has slipped back to two. Other than him Noren and Rahm are one under and then everyone else is either level par or worse. Admittedly these are the players who have not had great weeks so far, but they did at least make the cut.

Gary Woodland (below), meanwhile, cards a double-bogey seven on the second, thanks to a wild  second that finished just on the lip of the greenside bunker, short-siding himself. From there he chunked it into the bunker and then hammered his trap shot out of the green and into the crowd...

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

04:14pm

Noren moves to two under for the day

His third birdie of the day means he is now at two over for the tournament. That said, he has just pulled his drive into the trees on the ninth and might not have a clear shot at the green...

Brian Harman, meanwhile, is now at one over overall after a two on the sixth hole following a wonderful tee shot.

Rasmus Hojgaard has slipped down to the bottom of the pack, though, after a double bogey on the seventh. He was in a decent position after his drive but then found a front greenside bunker, then the back greenside bunker... his second bunker shot does well to cling on to the green but he two putts from there.

04:06pm

Rahm back to three over

He makes a bit of a mess of the fifth hole with a drive that is pushed or sliced right before his approach ends just short of the green and he fails to get up and down, missing a 12ft putt or so down a ridge. Marginally.

03:56pm

McIlroy’s scorecard from yesterday

What a finish.

03:52pm

A fine start for Brian Harman, too

Par, birdie, par, birdie gets him to two over for the tournament and into the top 40.

03:39pm

A reminder of the later tee times today

Here are the final eight groups...

03:31pm

Rahm’s charge continues

Well, perhaps charge is a bit strong, but his second birdie of the day (on the third) gets him to two over for the tournament.

03:18pm

Kitayama in trouble

Two bogeys in the first four holes puts him at six over in the race to not finish last of the weekend players. Alex Noren, His playing partner is moving up the leaderboard, though after a bogey in the first. He birdied the second and has now birdied the part-three fourth after putting his tee shot to about three feet and sinking the putt.

03:09pm

Birdie for Rahm on the first

The 2023 Masters champion is in for three off the card which puts him at three over for the tournament. His worst finish in the nine events he has played is tied for 47th in 2024. He has plenty of ground to recover but is currently tied for 45th.

02:59pm

McIlroy’s driving stats are quite the thing

91 players in the field in the first two round. He ranks second for distance but second last for accuracy...

Here’s how the leaders shape up in both metrics.

02:52pm

A dropped shot for Noren

He makes a five on the opening hole, whilst playing partner Kurt Kitayama pars it.

02:50pm

Tommy Fleetwood looking good

On the leaderboard and when it comes to attire. I read a few bits of criticism that he looked like a UPS delivery driver, but I think he was the best-dressed man on the course. Maybe not the “golf shoes” but still...

Matt Slocum/AP

Jason Day gave it a good go, too.

Shutterstock/Erik S Lesser

02:38pm

We are under way in round three

Kitayama and Noren play friendly golf, both men finding the left-hand side of the first fairway, leaving around 165-175 to the pin.

02:34pm

What has McIlroy been up to?

Rory McIlroy planned to keep his mind off golf as much as possible while awaiting the third round of the Masters.

“There’s actually two really good semi-finals at Monte Carlo in the tennis. So I’ll watch that,” he said. “We’ve been watching the tennis early in the mornings.”

02:13pm

The early starters today

01:42pm

Can anyone eat into McIlroy’s massive lead?

Masters Saturday – moving day. There will need to be a lot of moving going on today if anyone is to threaten Rory McIlroy’s second consecutive Green Jacket. Whilst his five-under 67 on Thursday was impressive, his seven-under 65 on Saturday cranked it up a notch or two. Not only was it an example of a golfer playing unburdened and with freedom, it was just a stunning display of dominance down the stretch.

The round was not free from blemishes. Bogeys on hole five and 10 meant he was only one under for the day (and six under in total) heading into the final seven holes. What did he do in the final seven holes? Six birdies, including four in a row to finish the day on 12 under. Whilst a few of his rivals had decent days (Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Cameron Young and Tyrrell Hatton to name a few), the ones who got anywhere near close to his seven under in the second round were too far back to put him under any significant pressure.

Erik S Lesser/Shutterstock

All four rounds are equally important in any major championship, but today will decide whether McIlroy goes into the final round with a larger lead than anyone else, his current lead (like Greg Norman in 1996), or has his advantage reduced or (unlikely...) wiped out altogether. Augusta has a tendency to bite, of course, but it is just as likely to bite those below McIlroy as it is the defending champion. Anything below par would surely be enough to carry a lead into Sunday.

There are plenty of candidates to push him, though. Whilst the buffer at six is significant after two rounds, there are 11 players within eight shots. A 65 or 66 from one or two of those is far from impossible.

There is, however, a long wait before those in the final few groups get going, so we will have to be content with following those in the lower reachers to inform us how the course is playing today. The first group get under way around 30 minutes as Kurt Kitayama and Alex Noren lead us out at 2.31pm BST.

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