Defending Champion Rory McIlroy Focuses on Momentum
Defending champion Rory McIlroy is determined to maintain his aggressive approach and not focus on protecting a record-breaking 36-hole lead at the Masters. His performance in the tournament has been nothing short of exceptional, with six birdies in his last seven holes leading to a score of 65 and a total of 12-under-par. This gives him a six-stroke advantage, the best in the tournament’s history.
McIlroy recalls the 2011 Masters, where he lost a four-shot lead on the final day, but he bounced back by maintaining an eight-shot 56-hole lead to win the US Open two months later. “I’ve built up a nice cushion at this point. My mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas,” he said. “Don’t protect it. Go out and play freely, keep swinging.”
This strategy reflects the lessons learned from previous tournaments. “A big part of the lesson from the 2011 Masters to the 2011 US Open was don’t get protective. Go out there and keep playing, keep trying to make birdies, stay as trusting and as committed as possible.”
McIlroy’s dominant performance on the back nine sent a clear message to his rivals, including 2018 champion Patrick Reed and Sam Burns. However, he denied any intention of intimidating opponents. “No. That’s not me, that’s not what I want to do. Honestly, I don’t care,” he added.
A Strong Start and Dominant Performance
On the eve of the tournament, McIlroy mentioned that double digits under par would be an amazing score considering the hard and fast conditions. He has already surpassed that goal, two days ahead of schedule, while the rest of the leaderboard trails behind. Four other major winners are struggling to keep up with his pace.
After three consecutive birdies from the second hole, McIlroy reached eight under par. He then responded to two bogeys with five birdies in six holes from the 12th. His brilliant approach shot at the 16th, trickling down the slope to three feet, gave him a third two on his card. He could seemingly do no wrong, as he chipped in from under the trees at the next hole.
To emphasize his dominance, he struck his approach to the last hole to six feet for a ninth birdie of the day. Despite this, Patrick Reed settled for a second-successive 69 after dropping a shot at the 18th, missing out on a third-round final pairing with McIlroy. The dubious honor went to Burns, who finished with three birdies in his last four holes for a 71.
Other Competitors Struggle to Keep Up
Justin Rose had a round that started strong with four birdies in five holes from the seventh, but ended up at five under par. The Englishman stated that last year’s near miss in a play-off had no impact on his current approach. “Of course I want to win this tournament. I don’t really need to try any harder,” he said.
Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry joined Rose at five under after a 69, with the Irishman saying, “If you gave me this position yesterday morning I would have taken your hand off.” However, with McIlroy in such commanding form, Fleetwood admitted they were already up against it. “Rory has a pretty commanding lead, in which case it’s up to him what happens,” he said.
