Rory McIlroy entered Saturday at the Masters as just another contender on the leaderboard, but he quickly established himself as the leader with a dominant start to his third round.
By starting his day with six consecutive 3s, good for 5-under par through six holes, McIlroy made history — he became the first player in Masters history to start a round 3-3-3-3-3-3.
McIlroy’s dominant start Saturday could be both a blessing and a curse. A lead is better than a deficit, but it could mean McIlroy has to deal with questions about his past collapses in majors as Saturday turns to Sunday.
Here’s a look at the course record for the Masters and how close McIlroy came to threatening it.
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Rory McIlroy 2025 scorecard
Here’s McIlroy’s scorecard for Saturday’s third round.
| Hole (Par) | Score | Round 3 | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (4) | 3 | -1 | -7 |
| 2 (5) | 3 | -3 | -9 |
| 3 (4) | 3 | -4 | -10 |
| 4 (3) | 3 | -4 | -10 |
| 5 (4) | 3 | -5 | -11 |
| 6 (3) | 3 | -5 | -11 |
| 7 (4) | 4 | -5 | -11 |
| 8 (5) | 6 | -4 | -10 |
| 9 (4) | 4 | -4 | -10 |
| 10 (4) | 5 | -3 | -9 |
| 11 (4) | 4 | -3 | -9 |
| 12 (3) | 3 | -3 | -9 |
| 13 (5) | 4 | -4 | -10 |
| 14 (4) | 4 | -4 | -10 |
| 15 (5) | 3 | -6 | -12 |
| 16 (3) | 3 | -6 | -12 |
| 17 (4) | 4 | -6 | -12 |
| 18 (4) | 4 | -6 | -12 |
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What is the Masters course record?
The course record for one round at the Masters is 63 (9-under par). Nick Price first set the record in 1986 with a dominant third round, and Greg Norman matched Price by shooting a 63 in the first round of the 1996 Masters.
McIlroy was 5-under par through six holes, putting himself in position to compete for the record if he could tack on some more birdies over the final 12, but he would finish the day with a 66.
Nick Price, 1986
Price surged up the leaderboard with a 63 in the third round of the 1986 Masters. The excellent round pulled him within one stroke of Norman’s lead entering Sunday, though Price was tied with three other players at 5-under par.
Price posted a respectable 71 on Sunday, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Jack Nicklaus shot a 65 to become the oldest winner in Masters history, and Price finished fifth at 6-under par.
Greg Norman, 1996
Norman shot a 63 in the first round of the 1996 Masters, putting himself in position to contend for his first Masters win. His lead ballooned to four strokes through two rounds and six strokes through three rounds, but a disastrous 78 on Sunday allowed Nick Faldo to complete an 11-stroke turnaround and win by five.
MORE TO KNOW ABOUT THE MASTERS
What are the best rounds in Masters history?
More than a dozen players have posted a round of 64 in the Masters, so while it is extraordinarily difficult, it isn’t extremely rare. A 63, however, hasn’t been achieved since Norman’s first round 29 years ago.
A 64 from McIlroy might not break a record, but it would take him much closer to a Masters win and the career grand slam.
What are the best overall scores in Masters history?
| Player | Score | To par | Year |
| Dustin Johnson | 268 | -20 | 2020 |
| Jordan Spieth | 270 | -18 | 2015 |
| Tiger Woods | 270 | -18 | 1997 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 271 | -17 | 1976 |
| Raymond Floyd | 271 | -17 | 1965 |
| Phil Mickelson | 272 | -16 | 2010 |
| Tiger Woods | 272 | -16 | 2001 |
| Sungjae Im* | 273 | -15 | 2020 |
| Cameron Smith* | 273 | -15 | 2020 |
| Patrick Reed | 273 | -15 | 2018 |
* — Didn’t win.
Dustin Johnson set a Masters record by posting a score of 268 in the postponed 2020 tournament, finishing 20-under par. The record for an April Masters belongs to Jordan Spieth (2015) and Tiger Woods (1997), who each shot a 270 over the four rounds.
10 players have finished 15-under par or better at the Masters, though two — Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im — didn’t win.
