2025 Masters leaderboard: Rory McIlroy's stellar Round 3 finally puts green jacket, career grand slam in sight

McIlroy started and closed as hot as ever at Augusta National Golf Club, completing a third round for the ages to hold his first 54-hole lead at a major in 11 years

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Perhaps no one in the history of Augusta National Golf Club has taken "Moving Day" more seriously than Rory McIlroy did Saturday. Becoming the first player in course history to score 3s across his opening six holes while charging to the top of the leaderboard, the four-time major winner -- more than a decade after winning his last -- has taken a two-shot lead at the 2025 Masters on the back of a 6-under third round for the ages.

McIlroy went 5 under across his first five holes, adding a stunning eagle on the 15th as he moved to 12 under for the tournament and 11 under across his last 27 holes starting with the second nine on Friday. He boomed his driver, lofted his irons and made crucial putts with regularity. Outside of a brief lapse when bogeys fell on the 8th and 10th -- a stretch that might have derailed his effort in the past -- he steadied himself quickly with a birdie on the 13th and his second eagle of the day on the 15th.

The Northern Irishman played not just near-perfect golf but major championship-winning golf on a calm, breezy Saturday in Augusta.

"It was a dream start to get off to the start that I did," McIlroy explained. "Hit two perfect shots on 1 and converted. Felt like I hit three perfect shots on 2, three perfect shots on 3. It was such a great way to start, just to come out of the blocks like that. … From finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today, that's quite a long time. There's a lot of anticipation and anxious energy that builds up. You just want to get out there and play. With all of that, to go out and start the way I did, was amazing."

He continued: "I had that little bit of wobble around the turn there. … I thought that the par putt on 11 was huge just to sort of get some momentum back. To get through 11 and 12 in even par was great, and then all I was trying to do then was take advantage of the par 5s coming in, and thankfully, I was able to do that."

Going to bed with the 54-hole lead at the Masters for the second time in his career, McIlroy will surely be thinking back to 2011 when he entered Sunday with a four-shot advantage only to shoot an 8-over 80 -- to this day his worst round at Augusta National.

But this 35-year-old Rory is not that 21-year-old Rory, and this 2025 Masters is not that 2021 Masters.

In the 14 years since, McIlroy has held solo 54-hole leads in four major championships. He's won them all, the last infamously coming at the 2014 PGA Championship given it's the most recent major he captured in his exemplary career.

Solo 54-hole lead	Final round	Finish
2011 Masters	80	T15
2011 U.S. Open	69	Won
2012 PGA Championship	66	Won
2014 Open Championship	71	Won
2014 PGA Championship	68	Won

McIlroy has been chasing an elusive fifth major, prestigious green jacket and even more exclusive career grand slam ever since. He's finished 0-38 in majors and 0-10 in Masters with excruciating second-place finishes four times overall and once at Augusta National (2022).

There have been coughed-up fourth-round leads, come-from-behind finishes that fell short and every type of close-call in between.

In none of those tournaments did he have a 27-hole stretch at a course like this. McIlroy on Saturday posted his second career major round with multiple eagles, his first since that 2024 Open. He has finished 8 under across six par-5s on Friday and Saturday.

This after entering the Masters off to the hottest start to a PGA Tour season in his career having already won two tournaments before the calendar turned to April.

"I came in here talking about being the most complete version of myself as a golfer," McIlroy said. "I just have to keep reminding myself of that … no matter what situation I find myself in tomorrow, I'll be able to handle that."

There is a star-studded leaderboard lurking. Bryson DeChambeau, who pulled the 2024 U.S. Open out of McIlroy's grasp less than nine months ago, sits two back at 10 under after a closing hole-out birdie that sent the patrons into a frenzy. DeChambeau was even for the day until the closing stretch when he made birdies on three of his last four holes to put the pressure on McIlroy.

Unlike the U.S. Open, in which DeChambeau held a three-stroke lead after 54-hole lead, it will be McIlroy entering Sunday's final round as the man to catch.

"These patrons and these galleries are a pleasure to play in front of each and every year we come back. They're some of the most knowledgable golf patrons or spectators that we play in front of," McIlroy said. "It's a pleasure to play in front of them and to have that atmosphere and to have that support.

"... That final group is going to be a little rowdy and a little loud. 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 that I've tried to approach the last three days."

DeChambeau agreed that the atmosphere should be immensely enthusiastic. "It'll be the grandest stage that we have in a long time, and I'm excited for it," he said. "We both want to win really badly. Shoot, there's a lot of great players behind us, too. Gotta be mindful of that. … In regards to the patrons, it's going to be an electric atmosphere."

Corey Conners, McIlroy's playing partner Saturday, is four behind after posting three straight birdies from Nos. 8-10. 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed and 2024 Masters runner-up Ludvig Åberg are both six back, while 2024 Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, 18- and 36-hole leader Justin Rose and McIlroy's fellow Northern Irishan, Shane Lowry, are seven behind.

Given the stacked first page of this leaderboard, it's clear McIlroy will be required to earn this Masters, his green jacket and the career grand slam on Sunday. The way he's playing, are you ready to doubt that he'll do it?

Watch the 2025 Masters all day Sunday with expanded coverage from CBS Sports. The newly extended broadcast airs from 12-2 p.m. on Paramount+ before shifting to CBS from 2-7 p.m. Masters Live follows the best in the world across Featured Groups, Amen Corner and Holes 15 & 16. Check into those streams live across Paramount+, CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App. 

2025 Masters leaderboard breakdown, Round 3

1. Rory McIlroy (-12): It couldn't go any other way, could it? McIlroy will now look to stare down DeChambeau in the final pairing on Sunday to finally claim the career grand slam. Rory's 66 on Saturday was an all-timer, but we'll find out Sunday whether he will come to regret missing good birdie chances on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 to extend his lead, particularly with how Bryson closed the gap late. 

2. Bryson DeChambeau (-10): DeChambeau was five back when McIlroy made his eagle on the 15th and looked lost with his irons for most of the round. He found something when he needed it most. His short game bailed him out all day and on No. 15 it got him up-and-down for birdie. His best iron swing of the day came on No. 16 to give him another short birdie putt, and then on No. 18m his putter delivered one final bomb with a 48-footer to pull within two and create some real Sunday drama.

"Rory was kind of moving forward. He was at 12 under, and I as kind of chasing a bit. When I made that [putt on No. 16], I looked up and kind of said as a statement [to myself], like, 'I'm still here. I'm going. I'm not going to back down,'" said DeChambeau.

3. Corey Conners (-8): The only other man within six of the lead is Conners, who was unfazed by McIlroy's incredible round while playing along side him and kept plotting along solidly to another 70. The problem is Conners is facing some serious firepower in front of him, and a solid round won't be enough to get him Canada's second green jacket. He missed a number of birdie opportunities on the greens on Saturday, and if he's going to factor into the action on Sunday, the putter is going to have to get hot and he will need to go low. 

T4. Patrick Reed, Ludvig Åberg (-6): Both Reed and Åberg closed their rounds strong on Saturday with Reed making birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 18 to post 69 and Åberg making three in a row on Nos. 14-16 to do the same. It will take something special for either of them to win a green jacket on Sunday, but if they can get some help from the leaders coming back, they have the steady games to be in play. 

T6. Jason Day, Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose (-5): All four of these players hoped for more out of their Saturdays and will need something special on Sunday to get in the mix. Scheffler had uncharacteristic ball-striking woes for the second straight day and was unable to make the kind of move we expect from him. Day had some flashes of brilliance, including a chip-in birdie on 14, but didn't give himself enough good looks to make a real climb up the board. Lowry had it to 7 under standing on the 15th tee and looked like he might have a shot at the final group, but  hecouldn't do anything with gettable holes on Nos. 15 and 16 and then made two bogeys coming in to back off the pace. Rose, meanwhile, finally backed out of contention after two days at the top of the leaderboard, as his short game and putting could no longer keep him afloat. 

T10. Zach Johnson, Xander Schauffele and two others (-4): The only other 66 on Sunday belonged to Johnson, of all people, as he set a new personal best for a single round at Augusta National. Schauffele also continued his move up the leaderboard, but it will almost assuredly be too little too late after a tough Thursday. 

T14. Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland (-3): Homa continues to grind his way to solid scores in impressive fashion, posting a 69 on Saturday to move into the top 20. Morikawa, meanwhile, couldn't ever get going and posted a 72 to all but guarantee his winless drought continues. Hovland had it to 6 under after his first nine and looked like he might post a score, but fell apart a bit on the second nine to drop well off the pace. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 7:05 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Bryson DeChambeau buries 48-foot birdie putt on 18 to move two back of Rory McIlroy

On a day where he did not have his A-game, Bryson DeChambeau still managed to scratch and claw his way to a 3-under 69 to stay within reach of Rory McIlroy in the lead. After McIlroy moved five in front of DeChambeau with his eagle on No. 15, the two-time U.S. Open champion rallied with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15, 16 and 18 to move to 10 under, two behind McIlroy. 

His birdie on the 18th was particularly impressive, as he found the first fairway bunker off the tee, but launched an approach to the back left of the green, leaving 48 feet for birdie. A two-putt was needed to make the final pairing with Rory, but Bryson did one better, pouring it in to electrify the patrons greenside. 

Now DeChambeau will look to apply pressure on McIlroy early in their round on Sunday as the golf world figures to be treated to an all-time final pairing duel. It won't be the McIlroy-Scheffler battle many hoped for coming in, but after last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst when DeChambeau ran down McIlroy late in the final round (after nearly blowing a 54-hole lead), this will have just as much juice if not more. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 6:56 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy posts -12 to take the 54-hole lead after a Saturday 66 for the ages

For the second straight day, Rory McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 to rocket up the leaderboard at the Masters. His Thursday implosion with two double bogeys in his final four holes seemed to write a familiar script of a slow start dooming his chances at a green jacket, but he authored one of the best middle 36-hole stretches in Masters history to vault into the solo 54-hole lead. 

McIlroy began his day in historic fashion going 5 under in his first five holes, holing an eagle chip at the second to take the lead (which he never gave up the rest of the day). 

He became the first player to begin a round with six 3s on his card in Masters history, but would encounter some challenges from there. After a great par save on the 7th, McIlroy dropped a shot at the par-5 8th, missed a short birdie putt on the 9th and gave another shot back with a three-putt bogey on 10. The wheels looked like they could come off at any moment, but the now-veteran McIlroy did what his younger self could not by righting the ship with pars on Nos. 11 and 12.

From there he did what he's long been known to: attacking the par 5s. A birdie on 13 extended his lead to three and then an eagle on 15 moved him four in front after an approach that will go down in Masters lore forever if he goes on to win. 

He had opportunities to extend that lead on Nos. 16, 17 and 18, but couldn't get any more birdie putts to drop on his way to a 6-under 66, matching Zach Johnson for the low round of the day. He leads Bryson DeChambeau by two heading into the final round, setting up a rematch of their showdown at Pinehurst a year ago in which DeChambeau handed McIlroy his most recent devastating major defeat. 

Less than 12 months later, McIlroy will look to exact his revenge and complete the career grand slam in his 11th attempt at it. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 6:28 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Bryson DeChambeau trying to rally late with back-to-back birdies

After getting to one back of Rory McIlroy as they made the turn, DeChambeau stalled out to open his second nine. His iron play throughout the second side has been erratic, with some big misses both long and short, as his distance control and accuracy on approach has been lacking. 

And yet, he remains the strongest apparent threat to McIlroy because his short game and putting has been superb. McIlroy's eagle on 15 demanded a response from the rest of the leaderboard, and DeChambeau answered with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. While he couldn't match McIlroy's incredible approach on the 15th, again tugging an iron well off line, his short game bailed him out again with a terrific chip to set up a birdie. 

Then on No. 16, he finally produced a quality iron swing, landing his ball just above the hole and letting the slope bring it down to just a few feet to give him back-to-back birdies and move him back into solo second at -9. 

DeChambeau has chased down Rory before, less than 12 months ago at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, but the task seems even more difficult now with the way McIlroy is playing this season and this week. One figures Bryson will want another birdie coming in to keep the pressure on. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 6:01 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy with an all-time approach on 15

After a monster drive on the 15th, McIlroy was left with 209 yards into the par 5, ready to author an iconic Masters moment. Two days removed from a disaster on the 15th with a double bogey after chipping into the water, McIlroy hit a 6 iron for the ages, a nearly identical shot to the iconic 2011 approach from Tiger Woods. 

McIlroy knew it was great immediately, strutting after it as it drew perfectly into the right side of the green and settled up 6 feet from the hole. He poured that in for eagle to extend his lead to four in front of Corey Conners and five in front of Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 5:52 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Ludvig Åberg and Patrick Reed each shoot 69, tied at -6 for the early Saturday clubhouse lead 

While Rory McIlroy sets the pace on the course in the penultimate group, the expectations of fireworks around Augusta National have not materialized in what has become a tense, difficult Saturday afternoon. After Zach Johnson's 66 it was fair to wonder if we'd see someone go deep in the third round, but Augusta has shown its teeth in firm, fast conditions even without strong winds. 

That's meant anything under 70 is a very good score on Saturday afternoon and Patrick Reed and Ludvig Åberg produced just that with 3-under 69s to become the first in the clubhouse at -6 -- currently four off McIlroy's lead. Both players closed out their rounds strong on the second nine to make a late push up the leaderboard. 

For Reed, it was birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 18 that got him into the group at T5, while Åberg put three circles on the card in a row on Nos. 14, 15 and 16. 

Early in the day, it felt like a 69 would possibly just be keeping pace, but as the evening arrives that looks like an incredibly good score. They'll wait to see how far back -6 is from the lead once play ends, but both Reed and Åberg have at least given themselves a chance going into Sunday's final round.

[Apr 12, 2025 at 5:35 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy pushes lead back up to two in Amen Corner

After it looked like it might get away from him, Rory McIlroy steadied the ship as he made his way around Amen Corner at Augusta National. Bogeys on 8 and 10 dropped him back to -9 for the tournament, but a terrific par putt on the 11th got him back on track. From there he went just long on 12, but was able to two-putt from over the green for his first stress-free par since his incredible start. On the 13th, he hit it into the second cut just above the fairway, but found the fairway cut just short of the right bunker in 2 and got up-and-down with a terrific chip to leave a little less than 4 feet for his birdie. 

That birdie moved McIlroy back to -10 for the tournament, two ahead of his playing partner Corey Conners in second, with Bryson DeChambeau at -7 thru 12 after a bogey on the par-3 12th. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 4:57 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Corey Conners makes three straight birdies to move into T2, one behind Rory McIlroy

Early in the third round, Corey Conners watched as his playing partner for the third round, Rory McIlroy, ran out to a big lead on Saturday at -5 thru 5. Conners was not able to match that early pace, but the ever-steady ball-striker got hot in the middle of his third round right as McIlroy started to come back to earth. 

While McIlroy went bogey-par-bogey on Nos. 8, 9 and 10, Conners made birdie on all three holes to vault into a tie for second with Bryson DeChambeau and climb to just one back of McIlroy's lead. 

Conners has been hanging around with the biggest names in the sport since Thursday, when he was T2 alongside Scottie Scheffler after an opening 68. A Friday 70 kept him in the mix and now he's holding steady alongside McIlroy on Saturday, proving to be a real threat for the green jacket. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 4:37 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy makes the turn in 32 (-4), leads by two over Bryson DeChambeau

After his first five holes on Saturday, it looked like Rory McIlroy would be headed for a record-setting first nine at Augusta National. He would cool off from there with three pars and a bogey on the 8th to make the turn in 32, but that was still good enough to give him a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau. 

McIlroy's first five holes were nothing short of spectacular, as he went birdie-eagle-birdie-par-birdie to start and became the first player in Masters history to open with six consecutive 3s on his card. Things got more stressful after that dream start, and he put his first bogey on the card of the week on the par-5 8th, missing a chance to take advantage of his length after finding the fairway bunker. 

On the 9th hole, he pounded a drive over the corner and put a wedge to 5 feet, but jammed his birdie putt through the break and left another opportunity on the table. It probably should have been a 30 on the way out for McIlroy, but with his history at the Masters, it's hard to turn up your nose at a 32 that puts you firmly into the lead. Now he makes the turn to the second nine where we've seen there are more birdies to be had (Zach Johnson made five on the second side earlier in the day). 

On a Moving Day where much of the top of the leaderboard is stuck in first gear, Rory has a chance to put some distance between himself and the rest -- or at least make someone else conjure up some brilliance to keep up. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 4:24 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy drops his first shot of Saturday at the 8th, Bryson DeChambeau makes bogey on the 7th

McIlroy has hit a bit of a rough patch in his third round, and after a pair of great par saves he finally dropped a shot at the par-5 8th. McIlroy found the fairway bunker off the tee and could only lay up to 188 yards from the hole. From there he launched a 6 iron long and a bit left, and was unable to get up-and-down for his par to move back to -10. 

However, in the pairing behind, Bryson DeChambeau was also making a bogey on No. 7 after pushing his tee shot into the second cut on the right and coming up short on his approach -- Justin Rose also made bogey in the same pairing. That meant McIlroy's lead remains at three as he goes to No. 9, with DeChambeau and Shane Lowry now tied behind him at -7 (although Lowry is in some trouble on No. 9 and looks like he may give one back as well). 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 4:07 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy makes back-to-back par saves to keep his round on track

After starting -5 thru 5, McIlroy faced his first real stress tests on the 6th and 7th holes and passed with flying colors. His tee shot on the par 3 ended up in the low area, putting back up the slope and he jammed it well past the hole, but made an 8-footer for par to extend his record streak of 3s to open his round to six. 

On No. 7, McIlroy over cut a 3 wood into the trees and had to blast a wedge up and over some trees, managing to get it to the fairway cut on the left side of the green. From there, he hit a sporty chip to just a couple feet and cleaned up for par, putting his first 4 on the card of the day but one he'll gladly take. Billy Horschel made sure to let fans know how good that delicate chip was on social media. 

McIlroy will now try to take it even deeper under par at the par-5 8th, as he maintains a 3-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau as they approach the turn. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 3:36 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy makes Masters history with -5 thru 5 start, leader by 3

Rory McIlroy is off to the greatest start to a round in Masters history. After going birdie-eagle-birdie, he finally put a par on the card on the difficult par-3 4th, but stepped up to the tee on the long 5th and piped on 342 yards to leave a 9 iron in. He would put that approach 18 feet past the hole on the correct tier and rolled it in for just the third birdie of the day on the always difficult par 4. 

With that birdie, McIlroy got off to a 3-3-3-3-3 start, the first time a player has done that in Masters history. 

Bryson DeChambeau is now in solo second at -8, but McIlroy has taken control of the 2025 Masters on Saturday afternoon. 

[Apr 12, 2025 at 3:08 pm ET · @GOLFonCBS via Twitter]

Rory starts birdie-eagle-birdie to move into the solo lead

Rory McIlroy couldn't have dreamed of a better start to his third round, as he's bombed his drives, controlled his distances and poured in his putts on the first three holes to move to the top of the leaderboard by himself.  

[Apr 12, 2025 at 2:58 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau create early roars as Rory moves into the solo lead

Every pairing is now on the course and two of the biggest names at the top of the leaderboard didn't wait to set off some fireworks. Rory McIlroy bombed his drive 371 yards over the bunker on 1 and took advantage of having a wedge in to make birdie and move to -7. DeChambeau, playing with Justin Rose in the final pairing, laid back with a fairway wood and hit his onto the back section of the green, leaving a lightning fast putt, but judged it perfectly to create a roar of his own and move into a tie for the lead at -8...briefly. 

After a 369 yard drive that covered the bunker on 2, McIlroy bounded his approach over the green on 2 and left a delicate eagle chip that he hit perfectly, as it rolled in to move him into the solo lead at -9. 

If there were any question that this Saturday at the Masters would be a blast, McIlroy and DeChambeau made sure to set the tone immediately with some unbelievable shots and putts to send the patrons into an early frenzy and put the rest of the field on notice when they passed a leaderboard.