Rory McIlroy shines in moving day at the Masters Tournament

Moving day at the Masters lived up to its name as Rory McIlroy moved into the top spot after the third round on Saturday, April 12.

Rory McIlroy finished the third round at 12 under par. He completed his round with four birdies, three eagles and made three on six straight holes, which is a Masters record.

“Obviously it was a dream start to get off to the start that I did. Hit two perfect shots on one and then converted,” McIlroy said. “Felt like I hit three perfect shots on two, three perfect shots on three. It was such a great way to start and just to come out of the blocks like that, I think as well from finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today is quite a long time and there’s a lot of anticipation and sort of anxious energy that builds up. You just want to go out there and play. With all of that to start the way I did is amazing.”

When asked about the patron support and desire to see him win his first green jackets, McIlroy said it was “amazing.”

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“These patrons and these galleries are a pleasure to play in front of each and every year we come back,” McIlroy said. “They’re some of the most knowledgeable golf patrons or spectators that we play in front of. It’s a pleasure to play in front of them and to have that atmosphere, to have that support tomorrow in that final group is gong to be a little rowdy and a little out and I’m just going to have to settle in and really try to keep myself in my own little bubble and keep my head down and sort of approach tomorrow with the same attitude I’ve tried to approach the last three days with.”

Bryson DeChambeau finished the third round in second place at 10 under par. After the round, he said he was excited with how it ended, but he needed to go to the range to work on his iron play.

“(I) putted it really well today, proud of myself for keeping my head about me and just thinking about (patience) all day. It was a fun test of golf today,” DeChambeau said.

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When asked what he enjoyed most about playing on a Sunday as the guy closest to the leader, DeChambeau said it’s great. 

“It’s fun feeling like you have to hit every single shot to the best of your ability, and you can’t let off the gas petal,” DeChambeau. “You just got to focus and play the absolute best golf that you possibly can…for me chasing tomorrow, it’ll be a fun test.”

Corey Conners finished the third round in third place at 8 under par. Conners played the third round with McIlroy, who had a great start, but didn’t let that stop him.

“It was pretty amazing start Rory had today, but (I) just stuck to my game plan,” Conners said. “Felt like I did a pretty good job of doing my thing, knew I would get my opportunities and try and capitalize when I did give myself opportunities. (I) was able to make a few towards the middle of the round, just couldn’t quite get them to fall at the end. It was a solid day.”

As for how it felt to play with McIlroy, Conners said it was a lot of fun. 

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“Rory is a world class player, a lot of people cheering him on, certainly a lot of people were cheering me on as well,” Conners said. “It felt great to be in that type of atmosphere. It’s fun and a great place to be. It was a fun day.”

When it comes to the final round on Sunday, Conners said he has trust in his game.

“I got a lot of faith in my game,” Conners said. “What the other guys do is out of my control, but I’m going to have to go and play a really good round of golf tomorrow.”

McIlroy and DeChambeau will play together on Sunday, April 13 and will tee off at 2:30 p.m. To view a list of all tee times, visit Masters.com.