Masters: McIlroy on track to achieve elusive Masters dream after stunning round three performance

UPDATE

Rory McIlroy has shot a tremendous six under par during the third round of the Masters to find himself on top of the leader board heading into the final day.

The Northern Irishman leads the next best Bryson DeChambeau by two strokes, with both players being the only two having a score of ten or more under after the three rounds.

Fittingly, the two leaders will paired together on the final day, as they'll both be playing in the same group.

Jason Day still remains the top Aussie on the course, with an impressive score of five under par heading into the final day.

He is currently tied for sixth on the leader board so far.

EARLIER

Justin Rose maintains his lead after round 2 of the Masters, however Bryson DeChambeau has stormed into contention after a -4 round saw him trail the Brit by just one stroke.

Rory McIlroy demonstrated some much-needed resilience in a bogey-free round of 66 that sees him tied for third. This coming after two double-bogeys in the last four holes in round 1.

World number one Scottie Scheffler had an indifferent day that saw six birdies... but also five bogeys. The -1 round still has him tied fifth but the fact he went straight to the range after his round today shows he still has plenty to work on.

Two Aussies left

Australia has just two chances left of the five that started. We said goodbye today to Cam Smith (+5), Cam Davis (+9) & Masters winner Adam Scott (+5).

Smith imploded with a round of six over-par to undo his solid -1 in round 1. Four bogeys and a double bogey in the back 9 today saw the British Open winner's struggles continue in major tournaments since his move to LIV.

So we look to our remianing chances. Justin Bieber's mate Min Woo Lee started round 2 with a double bogey, but showed his class with back-to-back birdies to steady his ship which stayed steadied for an even round. He sits at -1 tied for 22nd.

Jason Day is where our main hopes lie, though. The 37-year-old Queenslander is sitting at -4 - which only dropped from -5 when he knocked in his first bogey of the tournament so far on the 36th hole.

Four strokes in two rounds is assailable for Day, and he will be pushing to top his previous best result of tied second in 2011.

Come on Jason!

LATEST LEADERBOARD

Notable third round tee times (Saturday/Sunday - AEST)

Sunday

2:30am – Harris English, Min Woo Lee
3:50am – Jason Day, Sungjae Im 4:10am – Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton 4:30am – Rory McIlroy, Corey Conners 4:40am – Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau

The Favourites

Scottie Scheffler (USA) - $5

The World No.1 enters the 2025 Masters as favourite. It is very tough to bet against Scheffler these days. In 2024, Scheffler had a record-breaking year – winning nine of the 21 tournaments he played in. Scheffler does not need his best golf to win at Augusta and is ultimately the player to beat!

Rory McIlroy (NI) - $7.5

McIlroy is the in-form player coming into the week and is a Masters Win away from completing the career Grand Slam. Coming off a win at The Players last month, is this the year he can overcome the heartbreak from past majors and cement his spot as one of the greats of the modern game?

Collin Morikawa (USA) - $17

Morikawa is also a player who has started the 2025 season in red hot form. In 2024, Morikawa finished in the top 20 in all four majors. Morikawa's performance at the Masters speaks for itself - finishing T-3rd last year and inside the Top 10 the past three years. Can he finally get over the line in Augusta National and claim his first major win since the 2021 Open?

Jon Rahm (ESP) - $17

The 2023 Masters Champion remains a favourite even after a very underwhelming 2024 season. Rahm was one of the best in the game when he made the switch to LIV Golf in December 2023. Rahm has finished in the Top 10 in every LIV event this year. Rahm will be looking to bounce back from last year and reaffirm his status as one of the games best with a second Masters win.

Bryson DeChambeau (USA) - $21

LIV Golf and Youtube star DeChambeau comes into this week as a favourite although having struggled at Augusta National prior to the 2024 Masters. In eight Masters starts, Bryson has missed the cut twice and last year’s T-6th was his first finish inside the Top 20. Last year's Master saw DeChambeau tied for the lead after 36 holes before slipping down the order over the weekend. Can the 2024 US Open Champion go one better and mount a title challenge deep into the weekend?

The best Aussie hopes

Australia has five players in the field this week and they are already turning heads at Augusta National.

Jason Day's bold styling at last years Masters made the headlines. Augusta National requested he tone it down and share his 2025 outfits for pre-approval. On Wednesday, it was Cameron Smith's turn as he donned a blue blazer during a driving range session and practice round.

Lets look at Australia's best chances of bringing home the Green Jacket!

Min Woo Lee (AUS) - $36

Coming off his first win on the PGA Tour at the Houston Open, Lee has every reason to feel good coming into the tournament. The Houston Open is a good indicator as to who can go well around Augusta National. Scheffler's two Masters wins came after strong performances at the Houston Open in previous years. Lee has shown steady improvement year on year and has broke into the Top 25 in the world. Can he back up his recent form and beat Scheffler for a second time in a matter of weeks?

Cameron Smith (AUS) - $51

Cameron Smith has the game to win at Augusta National. He has five Top 10 finishes in eight Masters starts - his best being a T-2 in 2020. Smith comes into this week after a Top 10 finish at LIV Miami. The 2022 Open Champion has thrived in recent years at the Majors especially the Masters. You can't help but feel Smith will continue his great form at Augusta National and put himself into contention for a green jacket again this year come Sunday.

The bolters

Sepp Straka (AUT) - $71

The Austrian comes into his fourth Masters start in great form. Ranked 6th on the PGA Tour for Strokes Gained from Tee to Green (a key stat to get around Augusta) and a win in 2025 already under his belt. Straka is a great price to go well this weekend.

Maverick McNealy (USA) - $151

On his Masters debut, McNealy is a great outside look. In 2025, the American has four Top 10 finishes and is ranked 10th on the PGA Tour for Strokes Gained from Tee to Green. And what a name!

All odds with Sportsbet are correct at time of publish.

Where to watch the 2025 Masters in Australia

The 2025 Masters Tournament will be live on Fox Sports - available via Kayo Sports or Foxtel.

Fox Sports' Main Broadcast (503 and 503HD)

Thursday 10 April - Par 3 Contest: 4am-7am
Friday 11 April - Round 1: 5am-9.30am
Saturday 12 April - Round 2: 5am-9.30am
Sunday 13 April - Round 3: 2am-9am
Monday 14 April - Final Round: 2am-9am

Live From The Masters (503 and 503HD)

Thursday 10 April: 8am-11am
Friday 11 April: 9.30am-11.30am
Saturday 12 April: 9.30am-11.30am
Sunday 13 April: 9am-11am
Monday 14 April: 9am-11am

Amen Corner (505 and 505HD)

Friday 11 April: Round 1 - 12.45am-8am
Saturday 12 April: Round 2 - 12.45am-8am
Sunday 13 April: Round 3 - 1.45am-8am
Monday 14 April: Final Round - 1.45am-8am

Featured Groups (503 and 503HD)

Friday 11 April: Round 1 - 12.30am-5am
Saturday 12 April: Round 2 - 12.30am-5am
Sunday 13 April: Round 3 - Midnight-2am
Monday 14 April: Final Round - Midnight-2am

First Round (Thursday/Friday - AEST)

The action tees off at 9:40pm Thursday (AEST) with Davis Riley, Patton Kizzire.

Thursday

10.52pm -- Cameron Smith, J. T. Poston, Aaron Rai
11.47pm -- Collin Morikawa, Joaquín Niemann, Min Woo Lee
11.58pm -- Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley

Friday

12.15am -- Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester (a)
12.48am -- Cam Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
3.01am -- Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
3.12am -- Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia
3.23am-- Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
3.34am-- Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood

Second round (Friday/Saturday - AEST)

Friday

9.40pm -- Cam Davis, Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat
11.47pm -- Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
11.58pm Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia

Saturday

12.15am -- Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
12.26am -- Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood
2am -- Cameron Smith, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai
3.01am - Collin Morikawa, Joaquín Niemann, Min Woo Lee
3.12am -- Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley
3.23am-- Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester

Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au