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Rory McIlroy acknowledged battling "anxious energy" in the hours leading up to his tee time in the third round at the Masters 2025. The World No.2 was paired with Corey Conners and teed off on Saturday (April 12) at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The Northern Irishman had a splendid start with six consecutive 3s with three birdies and eagles in his first three holes. He faced setbacks with two bogeys on the eighth and 10th holes. However, he quickly rebounded with another birdie on the 13th and an eagle on the 15th hole at Augusta.
McIlroy had teed off at 9:58 a.m. ET in the second round on Friday morning (April 11) and had finished by afternoon. In the post-round press conference, McIlroy said (via ASAP Sports):
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"From finishing yesterday afternoon to teeing off today, it's quite a long time. You know, 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."
About his six straight par 3s, he said:
"It was a dream start to get off to the start that I did. Hit two perfect shots on 1 and converted. Felt like I hit sort of three perfect shots on 2. Three perfect shots on 3."
Rory McIlroy said he was "a little bit of wobble" with a bogey on eighth, a missed birdie opportunity on ninth, and a three-putt on 10th. He added that his par save on the 11th was "huge" for regaining momentum. He said he capitalized on the par 5s later on the back nine.
After three rounds, the 35-year-old is atop the standings with an aggregate score of 12-under. He has a lead of two strokes over Bryson DeChambeau, who is placed second.
Rory McIlroy is paired alongside DeChambeau for a high-stakes Sunday (April 13) showdown at 2:30 p.m. A win will not only complete his long-awaited career Grand Slam but also be one of his most memorable Masters comebacks.
Rory McIlroy shares his plan ahead of the Masters finale
In the press conference, Rory McIlroy was asked how he planned to prepare for his final round and what he would be doing on Saturday night. The four-time major champion replied:
"Maybe try to make it through the second episode of the third season of "Bridgerton." Fell asleep during episode 1 last night. And that's it. Yeah, sort of put the phone away. Don't look at it. Try not to look at it until tomorrow night."
Talking about his pre-round routine ahead of Sunday, he said it included gym, warm-up, meals, and range work. He said he did a "good job" in avoiding the phone this week and engaged in watching Premier League football or movies like Zootopia with his daughter in the mornings.
