AUGUSTA, Ga. – The polysyllabic chants began as Rory McIlroy walked off Augusta National’s 18th green. They did not follow him all the way into the scorer’s room, though. The cheers of “Ror-y, Ror-y,” dissipated after only a few seconds.

McIlroy had given them reason to celebrate with a Saturday 66 that gave him his first 54-hole lead at the Masters in over a decade, but the exuberance was quickly replaced by reason. It was a collective realization that in spite of McIlroy’s thrilling play in the Masters’ third round, the 89th edition of this annual Augusta tradition was far from over.

McIlroy led by three shots when he finished his round Saturday evening. Larger leads have been lost at this tournament, including by McIlroy himself. And this is a man who has known so much heartbreak over the past 12 months that only months ago, he called himself golf’s “nearly man.”

Add in the stakes that arguably make Sunday the most important round of McIlroy’s long career, and there are myriad reasons to see why the cheers did not last long. We are far from a coronation.

McIlroy is a fan favorite around these parts – the patrons have seen him transform from promising teenager, brimming with potential, to a future Hall of Famer over a career that has spanned nearly two decades -- but they also are sensible enough to know what awaits Sunday.

The inherent unpredictability of this game was only emphasized moments later when Bryson DeChambeau rolled in a birdie putt from across the 18th green, already reducing McIlroy’s advantage before he could even begin to think about the final round.

McIlroy, 35, will start Sunday with a two-shot lead after shooting a second consecutive 66 on Saturday. He is at 12-under 204, two shots ahead of DeChambeau, who birdied three of the final four holes to reach 10-under par and, more importantly, secure his position in the final group and set up a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open. Corey Conners is the next-closest pursuer at 8-under par, while Ludvig Åberg and Patrick Reed are 6-under.

This is the first time McIlroy has had at least a share of the 54-hole lead in a major since the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, and his last outright lead entering the final round of a major since the 2014 PGA Championship. That was the most recent of his four major triumphs, all of which came when McIlroy started Sunday with the outright lead.

“I think the big thing is to not make it a rematch, stay in my own little world,” McIlroy said. “He’ll do what he does. I’ll just have to stay firm and stay in my own little world.”

That self-imposed seclusion would begin Saturday night, as McIlroy returned to his rental home and watched another episode of the Netflix show “Bridgerton.” He acted as if his phone was anathema, saying he would try to avoid it until the final round was over. His measured answers in the interview room Saturday night testified to his desire to downplay the upcoming significance of Sunday’s round.

“I think I still have to remind myself that there's a long way to go,” McIlroy said. “I, just as much as anyone else, know what can happen on the final day here.”

He will be playing for more than his first Masters on Sunday. The career Grand Slam also is at stake. His pursuit of that accomplishment, which only five men have achieved before him, has coincided with a major drought that has endured more than a decade.

His loss to DeChambeau last year at Pinehurst was among the most painful losses he has endured, alongside the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews and 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. All of those were preceded by what happened here 14 years ago, though.

McIlroy was just 21 when he took a four-shot lead into the final round of the 2011 Masters. He shot 80, though, including a back-nine 43. It is the only time he hasn’t converted an outright lead entering the final round of a major into a victory. McIlroy won his next major, the 2011 U.S. Open, to kick off a run of four major victories in little more than three years.

“Thankfully, I've got a pretty short memory,” McIlroy said.

He’ll need it Sunday as he stares from across the tee at the antagonist from his story at the 2024 U.S. Open.

DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open last year at Pinehurst after McIlroy missed short putts on two of the final three holes and DeChambeau saved par after a 50-yard bunker shot. Whether he’s a YouTube golfer cosplaying as a competitor, or vice versa, can be debated, but DeChambeau has transformed himself into both one of the game’s best players and its most popular.

The confluence of these storylines, the collective stardom of the final twosome and the prestige of the prize they’re playing for is why DeChambeau said Sunday will be “the grandest stage that we’ve had in a long time.”

For both men, a victory would be a testimony to their continued transformation. Success at this course has long been predicted for both of them because of their incredible length, but to reduce the Masters to a long-driving contest is to overlook the subtleties of Alister MacKenzie’s masterpiece. It is a course that demands precision and that beguiles players through subtlety.

DeChambeau’s short game has saved him this week, compensating for his struggles with his iron play. McIlroy has said many times that he is a more complete player than ever, one who possesses a wider array of shots than ever before. This year marked the first time he arrived at Augusta National already with two PGA TOUR titles under his belt. He’s won both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and THE PLAYERS in 2025, crediting his success to a more disciplined approach to course management, an improved short game and better distance control with his irons.

“I've got a lot of experience,” McIlroy said. “I came in here talking about being the most complete version of myself as a golfer, and you know, I just have to keep reminding myself of that and remind myself that no matter what situation or scenario I find myself in tomorrow, I'll be able to handle it.”

McIlroy’s most important trait may be his resiliency. It’s one that he takes pride in, and that is crucial over a career that has lasted as long as his. His success this year after several difficult defeats in 2024 testifies to his ability to bounce back. His performance thus far at Augusta National has been a microcosm of that.

It started Thursday, when two late mistakes marred an otherwise flawless opening round. Two double bogeys in his final four holes, one caused by a chip that raced across the 15th green and into the water, turned a mid-60s start into a 72. He recovered with a 66 the next day and matched that score Saturday with a start that reminded the patrons of McIlroy’s true superpowers. For all of his talk about the increased nuance in his game, he is still able to dominate a course in a way that few can.

It showed Saturday, when he started the round with drives of 331 and 369 yards en route to a birdie-eagle start. He added birdies at 3 and 5, as well as a par at the long, par-3 fourth hole, to become the first player to start a Masters round with five consecutive 3s. The momentum stalled with bogeys at Nos. 8 and 10, but he was bogey-free the remainder of the round and played the second nine’s two par-5s in 3-under.

McIlroy has been the best player this week. He also has the most on the line.

It is the recipe for a fascinating final round.