Day in hunt to fulfil Masters dream as McIlroy wobbles in third round

Augusta, Georgia: Jason Day was one of the first golfers on the property to register for Masters week and among the last on the driving range after a dramatic third day as he chases a lifelong dream of winning at Augusta National.

No one can knock the Australian former world No.1, just three shots behind 54-hole leaders Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young, for effort.

Even after 15 years of heartbreaks and near misses during five career top 10s at the April major.

Five birdies in an eight-hole stretch on day three of the Masters left the Queenslander at eight under par and firmly in final-round contention.

A gutsy 68 on a blazing hot day with firm fairways and rock-hard greens kept Day’s hopes alive for a second career major victory.

Australian fans can set their alarm clocks early for another Masters Monday morning that promises to be one for the ages, given defending champion McIlroy stumbled from his six-shot lead after two rounds to a one-over 73 which brought him back to the field.

The 90th Masters is still wide open with 18 holes to go. Instead of a victory march, career grand slam champion McIlroy will enter the final round tied for lead at 11 under with American Young, who won the Players Championship last month.

McIlroy is seeking to become just the fourth golfer in history, after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, to win consecutive Masters.

American Sam Burns (68) was 10 under while Irishman Shane Lowry (68) – who ignited the crowds with a hole-in-one at the par-3 sixth, his second at the Masters – was nine under.

Day’s four-under round came despite a bogey on the first, before two front-nine birdies steadied the ship. He went on a tear through Amen Corner of four consecutive birdies from the iconic par-3 12th. He bogeyed the par-3 16 th from the greenside bunker.

In his 15th Masters, the 2011 joint runner-up Day knows Sundays at Augusta National are an unpredictable beast. That’s why the 38-year-old spent more than 40 minutes on Augusta’s picturesque driving range after the round belting balls into the distance. He has left no stone unturned.

Day and three-time Masters runner-up Justin Rose (69) were eight under while two- time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler (65) and China’s Li Haotong (69) were seven under.

History is on Day’s side, given the Masters champion has started the final round within five shots of the lead on 84 of 89 total editions.

“[On] the last day, you’ve’ just got to try and give yourself an opportunity on the back [nine],” Day said after the round. “If you can get somewhere close to the lead on the back [nine], anything can happen.“

Plenty has happened to Day in final rounds at Augusta. He posted the clubhouse lead in 2011 only to have South African Charl Schwartzel steal the green jacket. Day led by two shots with two holes remaining in 2013 before consecutive bogeys eventually handed Australia’s first Masters triumph to
Adam Scott.

He was tied fifth, two shots behind Tiger Woods in 2019. Day was tied eighth last year.

The 13-time PGA Tour winner Day seemed resolute in his media scrum on Saturday night.

He didn’t talk about winning or the green jacket, only a vow he would do everything he can to have a chance on the closing nine holes. There was an acceptance there was only so much he can do.

“The goal is to try and cut into the lead tomorrow through nine, and if I can do that, great,” Day said.

The 2015 PGA Championship winner will play from the third-to-last group alongside former US Open winner Rose, teeing off at 4.03am AEST – 22 minutes before McIlroy and Young comprise the final pairing.

That last group has produced 30 of the past 35 Masters winners.

“There’s a lot of guys in with a chance [but] I’m still tied for the best score, so I can’t forget that, but I do know I’m going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win,” McIlroy said.

Day feels he can fly under the radar.

“I feel like the guys that are leading right now have all the pressure, I’m just the chaser,” Day said. “Guys at the top of the leaderboard always are trying to defend the lead. I feel good about my game. I feel very happy with where things are. I’m looking forward to the challenge at least.“

Australia is looking forward to watching.