Rory McIlroy again finds himself holding the final piece of his Grand Slam jigsaw puzzle and confident of finally slipping into the Masters green jacket.
Despite a poor closing hole bogey after hitting the pin with his approach, McIlroy finds himself lying just five shots from the lead with 36-holes to play at Augusta National.
The four-time Major winner bravely battled the blustery conditions in a spirited showing to stay in sight of the clubhouse leading duo of Sergio Garcia (69) and American Charley Hoffman (75) at four under par.
And having been in this Masters position in his last six Augusta appearances, including leading going into the last day in 2011, the World No. 2 is hopeful of joining golfing immortality.
“Even just being in position going into Sunday, I know more than most what can happen on Sundays around here, good and bad,” he said.
“I shot 66 in the last round and I shot 80.
“So, it’s just all about getting yourself in position, as you said, but I feel like I need something in the 60s tomorrow at least to get myself in there.
“But I’m not disappointed, I’m disappointed by what happened at the last, but I’m in a decent position going into the weekend.”
There were plenty of mistakes on the card today including a bogey on the first , the second day in a row he bogeyed the first to meaning he is now 11 over in 32 rounds playing the first at Augusta National.
A bogey at 12, where Jordan Spieth imploded last year also handed McIlroy the horrible stat of being a career 29-over par for holes 10, 11 and 12 .
“It was another day where you really had to battle and try and make a lot of pars but also trying and kick off the odd birdie,” he said.
“I sort of mixed in a few bogeys with a few birdies out there and that shot on 18 looked like it would be a tap-in birdie so make to take ‘5’ was not a good way to finish.”
“What I now need to do is go out and birdie the first tomorrow and it will all be forgotten.”
The dream is very much still alive in the chase for the career slam.
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