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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Moving Day at the Masters didn’t disappoint.
First it was Rory McIlroy, chipping in at the second for the first of two eagles and a tournament record start of six threes to surge into the lead. But Bryson DeChambeau refuses to let McIlroy run away with the title, burying a 47-foot birdie bomb at the last for his third birdie in the last four holes to cut McIlroy’s lead to two strokes heading into Sunday’s final round at Augusta National at the 2025 Masters.
It set up a heavyweight clash and rematch from June’s U.S. Open when DeChambeau lifted the trophy and McIlroy missed two short putts and drove off heartbroken again. This time, a Green Jacket and a chance for McIlroy to make history and complete the career Grand Slam will be on the line.
“It will be the grandest stage that we've had in a long time, and I'm excited for it,” DeChambeau said.
On a gorgeous, sun-soaked afternoon, McIlroy and DeChambeau put on an electric show. McIlroy sent the patrons into a frenzy with his chip-in eagle at No. 2. “I haven’t heard that big a roar since Shaq made a free throw,” a marshal said.
After his red-hot start built a lead as large as four shots, McIlroy cooled off with a bogey at 8, missed a short birdie putt at 9 and made a 3-putt bogey at 10.
He said his par putt on 11 settled him down. He tacked on a birdie at 13 and then hit the shot of the day, a 6-iron from 205 yards to 6 feet at 15 to set up another eagle and a second straight 6-under 66.
“I think he got hurt so badly at [the 2024] U.S. Open that he’s got a point to prove," Golf Channel's Paul McGinley said, "and when he’s got a point to prove, that’s normally when he’s at his best. I saw that today in his body language. This is vintage Rory.”
DeChambeau had his own heroics, starting with a 45-foot birdie at the first and bookended by a 62-foot birdie putt from the fringe at 18. He posted six birdies en route to shooting 3-under 69 to go with rounds of 68 and 69. Nobody had broken 70 in each of the first three rounds of the Masters since 2020.
“The biggest roar at Augusta National today was Rory’s second shot into 15 and then the putt for eagle," McGinley said. "The whole place rocked on the back of that. [DeChambeau] was standing down that fairway, and what did he do? He birdied three of the next four holes. He didn’t shrivel even though he didn’t have his best stuff with him.”
And so it’s a dream scenario for the final round: PGA Tour vs LIV, McIlroy with a chance at history, DeChambeau trying to complete his own childhood dream of a Green Jacket and win his third major title. McIlroy downplayed the rematch and said he wants to keep his head down and “stay in my cocoon” and DeChambeau who desperately wanted to be in the final group and look McIlroy in the eye and keep feeding off the patrons.
Even their overnight prep is different with McIlroy planning to watch the first episode of Bridgerton Season 3 on Netflix and stay off his phone and DeChambeau watching a James Bond flick with Pierce Brosnam as the main character and scrolling endlessly. Such a contrast between the two and it couldn’t have played out much better heading into Sunday.
“We both want to win really, really badly, and it's, you know, shoot, there's a lot of great players behind us, too. Got to be mindful of that and focus on -- it's about who can control themselves and who can execute the golf shots the best,” DeChambeau said.
Indeed, spoilers are lurking such as Corey Conners (70), who stripes it on repeat and has found a center-shafted putter to his liking this week. He’s alone in third, four back.
There’s Patrick Reed (69), who took down McIlroy in 2018 and sits six back and a perfect Bond villain as well as the Swede Ludvig Aberg (69), who has the good looks of a Sean Connery-era Bond bad guy.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, was struck in neutral on Saturday, shooting 72 and sits seven back, but he noted that he’s charged from behind to win big tournaments last year and can do it again.
But it is DeChambeau, who is the strongman most likely to spoil McIlroy’s grand dream once again. He’s done it before and he went to hit balls under floodlights to prepare to do it once more.
The pressure for McIlroy to slam the door and end his 11-year major winless drought, at the place where he looked like he'd win his first major back in 2011 before soaring to a final-round 80, is going to be immense.
“I think I still have to remind myself that there's a long way to go,” McIlroy said. “Just as much as anyone else, I know what can happen on the final day here.”
History of some sort will be made on the second nine on Sunday at Augusta National but will it be the grandest possible scenario and a coronation for McIlroy? Can. Not. Wait.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters final round features Rory McIlroy-Bryson DeChambeau duel
Continue reading...
First it was Rory McIlroy, chipping in at the second for the first of two eagles and a tournament record start of six threes to surge into the lead. But Bryson DeChambeau refuses to let McIlroy run away with the title, burying a 47-foot birdie bomb at the last for his third birdie in the last four holes to cut McIlroy’s lead to two strokes heading into Sunday’s final round at Augusta National at the 2025 Masters.
It set up a heavyweight clash and rematch from June’s U.S. Open when DeChambeau lifted the trophy and McIlroy missed two short putts and drove off heartbroken again. This time, a Green Jacket and a chance for McIlroy to make history and complete the career Grand Slam will be on the line.
“It will be the grandest stage that we've had in a long time, and I'm excited for it,” DeChambeau said.
On a gorgeous, sun-soaked afternoon, McIlroy and DeChambeau put on an electric show. McIlroy sent the patrons into a frenzy with his chip-in eagle at No. 2. “I haven’t heard that big a roar since Shaq made a free throw,” a marshal said.
After his red-hot start built a lead as large as four shots, McIlroy cooled off with a bogey at 8, missed a short birdie putt at 9 and made a 3-putt bogey at 10.
He said his par putt on 11 settled him down. He tacked on a birdie at 13 and then hit the shot of the day, a 6-iron from 205 yards to 6 feet at 15 to set up another eagle and a second straight 6-under 66.
“I think he got hurt so badly at [the 2024] U.S. Open that he’s got a point to prove," Golf Channel's Paul McGinley said, "and when he’s got a point to prove, that’s normally when he’s at his best. I saw that today in his body language. This is vintage Rory.”
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DeChambeau had his own heroics, starting with a 45-foot birdie at the first and bookended by a 62-foot birdie putt from the fringe at 18. He posted six birdies en route to shooting 3-under 69 to go with rounds of 68 and 69. Nobody had broken 70 in each of the first three rounds of the Masters since 2020.
“The biggest roar at Augusta National today was Rory’s second shot into 15 and then the putt for eagle," McGinley said. "The whole place rocked on the back of that. [DeChambeau] was standing down that fairway, and what did he do? He birdied three of the next four holes. He didn’t shrivel even though he didn’t have his best stuff with him.”
Stage is set for an amazing Sunday at Augusta National
And so it’s a dream scenario for the final round: PGA Tour vs LIV, McIlroy with a chance at history, DeChambeau trying to complete his own childhood dream of a Green Jacket and win his third major title. McIlroy downplayed the rematch and said he wants to keep his head down and “stay in my cocoon” and DeChambeau who desperately wanted to be in the final group and look McIlroy in the eye and keep feeding off the patrons.
Even their overnight prep is different with McIlroy planning to watch the first episode of Bridgerton Season 3 on Netflix and stay off his phone and DeChambeau watching a James Bond flick with Pierce Brosnam as the main character and scrolling endlessly. Such a contrast between the two and it couldn’t have played out much better heading into Sunday.
You must be registered for see images attach
“We both want to win really, really badly, and it's, you know, shoot, there's a lot of great players behind us, too. Got to be mindful of that and focus on -- it's about who can control themselves and who can execute the golf shots the best,” DeChambeau said.
If not McIlroy or DeChambeau, then who might don green jacket?
Indeed, spoilers are lurking such as Corey Conners (70), who stripes it on repeat and has found a center-shafted putter to his liking this week. He’s alone in third, four back.
There’s Patrick Reed (69), who took down McIlroy in 2018 and sits six back and a perfect Bond villain as well as the Swede Ludvig Aberg (69), who has the good looks of a Sean Connery-era Bond bad guy.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, was struck in neutral on Saturday, shooting 72 and sits seven back, but he noted that he’s charged from behind to win big tournaments last year and can do it again.
But it is DeChambeau, who is the strongman most likely to spoil McIlroy’s grand dream once again. He’s done it before and he went to hit balls under floodlights to prepare to do it once more.
The pressure for McIlroy to slam the door and end his 11-year major winless drought, at the place where he looked like he'd win his first major back in 2011 before soaring to a final-round 80, is going to be immense.
“I think I still have to remind myself that there's a long way to go,” McIlroy said. “Just as much as anyone else, I know what can happen on the final day here.”
History of some sort will be made on the second nine on Sunday at Augusta National but will it be the grandest possible scenario and a coronation for McIlroy? Can. Not. Wait.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters final round features Rory McIlroy-Bryson DeChambeau duel
Continue reading...
