Rory McIlroy Takes Masters Lead With Sparkling First Nine Saturday at Augusta

Chasing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy opened birdie-eagle to take the lead and shot 32 for his first nine holes.

Rory McIlroy surged into the lead on his first nine holes Saturday at the Masters. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

AUGUSTA — Rory McIlroy raced to the top of the leaderboard through the first nine holes on Saturday, becoming the first player in Masters history to make a score of 3 on each of the opening six holes.

McIlroy went birdie-eagle-birdie-par-birdie-par before finally make a par at the 7th hole. He was 5 under through the first five holes to move from two back of second-round leader Justin Rose to three in front.

He made his first over-par score since the 17th hole on Thursday when he drove into a bunker at the 8th hole and ended up making a bogey 6.

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McIlroy was seemingly out of the tournament Thursday when he let a solid round get away with two double bogeys over the closing four holes, going from 4 under par to even. He trailed Rose by seven shots and was eight back early in the second round.

But after a first-nine 35, McIlroy got hot on the back nine, making birdies at the 10th and 11th holes, an eagle at the 13th and a birdie at the 15th. His 66 was the lowest score of the day.

Adding the final nine Friday to his first nine Saturday, McIlroy had 63 strokes or 9 under par and led Bryson DeChambeau by two strokes.