Rory on the verge of finally winning his Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — This was the Rory McIlroy golf had expected, powering long drives, knocking in putts, a man in full flight on a golf course he’s long tried to conquer.

And at last seems destined to succeed.

McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 on a sparkling and historic Saturday afternoon at the Masters. He roared out of the gate with the first of what would become an unprecedented six consecutive threes, one of those an eagle and three of those birdies. That gave him a 54-hole score of 194, 16 under par.

He’s two shots ahead of Bryson DeChambeau going into Sunday’s ultimate round. Surely he will break through at last and finally grab the one tournament needed to complete a grand slam.  And yet, in the tantalizing, often agonizing game of golf, where strokes are lost as quickly as they may be gained, unpredictability is a constant factor. 

As the 35-year-old McIlroy is often reminded, he had a four-shot lead going into the last day of the 2011 Masters, collapsed to an 80, and finished in a tie for 15th. 

Asked about that difficulty, McIlroy said, “That was 14 years ago. I have no idea. Again, I’m glad I have a short memory.”

The rest of us don’t, however. We’ll keep harping about that failure until it is corrected, which it may be in the next few hours. The people chasing him are hardly inexperienced. DeChambeau has won the U.S. Open twice, including last year. Canada’s Corey Conners sits in third, four shots back, while Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, holds fourth place. 

McIlroy was the man many thought would be the next Tiger Woods.  But, expectations did not evolve into reality. Rory has done a great deal, and yet it’s always appeared not to be enough.  However, his popularity is remarkable.

There was little doubt who was the favorite of Augusta fans—or patrons, as they are called.  The crowd Saturday made Rory feel as if he were from Georgia and not Northern Ireland. Or Florida, where he lives much of the winter.

“It’s amazing to have the support,” said McIlroy. “You know, these Patrons and these galleries are a pleasure to play in front of, each and every year we come back. They are some of the most knowledgeable golf Patrons that we play in front of.”

And, yes, some of the most loyal. Rory, long ago, ingratiated himself with the golf public, and it has stayed with him forever. The fans were enthralled by the way McIlroy began the third round, and the roars rocked through the course. 

“Such a great way to start,” affirmed McIlroy. “Just to come out of the blocks like that, I think, as well from finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today. It’s quite a long time. You know, there’s a lot of anticipation and sort of anxious energy that builds up. You just want to get out there and play. So you know, with all of that, to go out and start the way I did was amazing.”

If he thinks that way, who are we to disagree?