Rory McIlroy offers honest assesment of his Masters chances

“It’s always fun when you’re playing with one of your good buddies”.

And Jordan Spieth running roughshod all over the place.

Coming into Saturday, the biggest stories surrounding one of golf’s most prestigious events weren’t especially inspiring.

McIlroy looked as though a sizzling score might be in the cards when he made a hot start to his third round, but he ultimately ended the day further back than where he started after a one-under-par 71 that he thought could have been a 67 if not for some wasted opportunities. In this year’s third-round he shot a 2-under-par 70 to put himself in serious contention to win his first (and astonishingly overdue) major title on a Sunday that would have been Seve’s 60 birthday. Just his luck, the ball bounced softly off the bank and stayed up, and from there the Spaniard hit a tough chip to tap-in range to turn potential bogey into a birdie.

Rose, who won his first major at the 2013 US Open, captured the first Olympic golf crown contested since 1904 previous year in Rio.

Spieth has been the tournament’s 54-hole leader the past three years.

“I’m in a great position going into (Sunday)”, said Rose, who won the 2013 U.S. Open.

But Rose isn’t going to beat himself up too much. Many fans didn’t notice, they spent that time at the concession stands or souvenir shops awaiting the leaders to play hours later. Too much can happen around this place. “It feels like I’m right where I’m supposed to be”, he said.

Subsequent scores of 73 and 71 meant a closing 69 left the four-time major victor six shots outside the play-off won by Sergio Garcia.

“I would say this one probably is one that slipped by, for sure”, the 36-year-old Englishman said, quickly adding: “I can’t pick holes in my performance”. It offers you a run around the par-5s.

He will be paired with Jordan Spieth, a friend and a Masters champion, in Sunday’s final round, and Fowler is delighted.

It was his way of saying Arnold Palmer would go for it, and his way of letting Michael Greller know that Spieth was feeling it.

He rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th, then a 10-footer at the last, to join Hoffman in the lead. Two holes later, he almost holed a wedge from the 15th fairway.

It certainly fired up Mickelson, who opened with birdies on the first and second holes to move to 2-under as those watching applauded wildly. “It’s win or go home”. He roared back again, but a six-foot miss for birdie on 16 allowed playing partner Rose to reclaim the lead by a shot. “Having a chance of winning a major and winning here at Augusta, it’s extra exciting”.

“Everybody knows with this back nine, anything can happen”, Hoffman said. Three-times Masters victor Phil Mickelson (73) had two late bogeys and was a further shot back along with former champions Jordan Spieth and Australian Adam Scott, who both shot 69.

Only 10 players remained under par, all of them separated by five shots. Former Masters winners like Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel also lurked. Lee Westwood, a runner-up a year ago, also had a 68 and was five shots back.

“From how my game feels, how I feel just about life; I feel great on the golf course“, Fowler told reporters on Saturday.

KEY STATISTIC: This is the fourth time Garcia has played in the final group at a major, and the first since the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie.

“I’ve got half a chance if I can get a roll going on the front nine”.