AUGUSTA, Ga. — How does Augusta National do it? How do the green jackets work their mojo to give us perfect Masters moments, perfect matchups, perfect stage-setting, year after year?
Whatever the reason — behind-the-scenes machinations, benevolence from the golf gods, or plain old-fashioned good luck — this year’s Masters has given us exactly the matchup we wanted for an April Sunday: Rory McIlroy (-12) vs. Bryson DeChambeau (-10) for the greatest prize in golf.
Frame it however you want: the two most popular players in the game going head to head; the paragons of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf battling for the honor of their respective houses; the sequel to one of the great U.S. Opens in golf history. This is the rare showdown that needs no buildup, yet deserves every bit of the hype, drama and historic weight we can whip up for it.
The two took sharply different paths to Sunday’s final pairing. McIlroy started strong Thursday, then careened off the track with two back-nine double bogeys. He then righted the ship Friday, putting himself right back in contention with a six-under round that wiped away all the stain of Friday.
DeChambeau, on the other hand, started strong and stayed there, finishing Thursday three strokes off Justin Rose’s lead and closing that gap to one on Friday.
Saturday very quickly ensured this weekend will either be the greatest or the worst of McIlroy’s career. McIlroy carded six straight 3s to start his round, leaping from six-under to 11-under within five holes. He passed the rest of the field like he was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini and they were pedaling uphill, and he wouldn’t surrender even a share of the lead the rest of the afternoon.
“From finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today, it's quite a long time,” McIlroy said after his round. “There's a lot of anticipation and sort of anxious energy that builds up. You just want to get out there and play. So, you know, with all of that, to go out and start the way I did was amazing.”
With McIlroy streaking out to a sudden lead and passing him by the third hole, DeChambeau had no time to rest or relax. He followed two quick birdies with a bogey, and then settled back to even par on the day with another bogey at the 7th. But he closed hot, with three birdies in the final four holes, and made certain Sunday would be a grinding battle.
Two moments stand out from Saturday, two moments that might well define how Sunday unfolds. First, McIlroy’s approach at 15, the hole that undid him Thursday, was sheer perfection that set up an eagle — and he knew it from the moment it left his club. His strut as he walked downhill toward the pin was as confident as he’s looked at Augusta in more than a decade.
