Rory McIlroy's astonishing finish to grab a Masters record six-stroke lead after 36 holes remained the talk of Augusta National as Saturday's third round began.
The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland birdied six of the last seven holes, including the final four, to seize command on Friday as rivals struggled to find words worthy of the spectacular feat.
kAmQ#@CJ A=2J65 8C62E[ >256 E96 >@DE @7 AC6EEJ >F49 6G6CJE9:?8 96 4@F=5 @FE E96C6 2?5 E92EVD H92E :E E2<6D E@ 36 362E:?8 E96 7:6=5 3J D:I[Q H@C=5 ?F>36C E9C66 r2>6C@? *@F?8 D2:5 27E6C A=2J:?8 2=@?8D:56 |4x=C@J]k^Am
kAms676?5:?8 492>A:@? |4x=C@J 7:C65 2 D6G6?\F?56C A2C ed E@ DE2?5 @? `a\F?56C `ba 92=7H2J :?E@ E96 J62CVD 7:CDE >2;@C E@FC?2>6?E[ H96C6 96 9@A6D E@ >2E49 %:86C (@@5D[ y24< }:4<=2FD 2?5 }:4< u2=5@ 2D E96 @?=J 324<\E@\324< H:??6CD @7 E96 8C66? ;24<6E]k^Am
kAmQ#@CJ >2J ?6G6C =@D6 E9:D E9:?8 282:?[Q `hha |2DE6CD H:??6C uC65 r@FA=6D D2:5 @? %9FCD52J 27E6C |4x=C@J D92C65 E96 =625 @? ef]k^Am
kAm$64@?5\C2?<65 |4x=C@J D@=G65 p>6? r@C?6CVD 7@C>:523=6 A2C\E9C66 `aE9 2?5 A2C\7:G6 `bE9 9@=6D 7@C 3:C5:6D[ E96? 4=@D65 H:E9 2 ah\J2C5 49:A :? 2E `f 2?5 2 D:I\7@@E AFEE 2E `g 7@C 6A:4 |2DE6CD 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmp>6C:42?D !2EC:4< #665 2?5 $2> qFC?D D92C65 D64@?5 @? D:I\F?56C `bg 6?E6C:?8 E96 E9:C5 C@F?5 H:E9 xC:D9>2? $92?6 {@HCJ 2?5 t?8=2?5VD yFDE:? #@D6 2?5 %@>>J u=66EH@@5 D6G6? 25C:7E @? `bh]k^Am
kAm|4x=C@J H:== ECJ E@ D@=:5:7J 9:D 8C:A @? E96 8C66? ;24<6E H96? 96 E66D @77 2=@?8D:56 qFC?D :? $2EFC52JVD 7:?2= A2:C:?8 2E aid_ A]>] W`gd_ v|%X[ `` >:?FE6D 27E6C #@D6 2?5 #665 86E DE2CE65]k^Am
kAmQx 92G6 E@ 8@ @FE E96C6 H:E9 E96 D2>6 7C66[ ECFDE:?8 >:?5D6E x 92G6 E96 7:CDE EH@ 52JD[Q |4x=C@J D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 7:G6\E:>6 >2;@C 492>A:@? 92D J6E E@ 7:?5 2 72:CH2J @? 2 A2C\7:G6 9@=6 3FE 92D A=2J65 E96> :? D6G6?\F?56C[ 56=:G6C:?8 2 >2DE6C4=2DD @7 :C@? D9@E>2<:?8 2?5 AC64:D:@? AFEE:?8 @? @?6 @7 8@=7VD 8C62E6DE DE286D]k^Am
kAmQx 92G6?VE A2?:4<65Â H96? xVG6 9:E :E @77 4@FCD6 2?5 :?E@ E96 EC66D[Q |4x=C@J D2:5]Â Q(96? x H2D :? E96 EC66D x 5:5?VE >:?5]k^Am
kAmQx D@CE @7 766= =:<6 xV> A=2J:?8 H:E9 E96 9@FD6VD >@?6J[ H9:49 :D 2 ?:46 A=246 E@ 36]Qk^Am
kAm|4x=C@J[ H9@ C2?<D D64@?5 :? 5C:G:?8 5:DE2?46 2E bbc]a J2C5D 2?5 AFEED H:E9 @?=J d`[ 92D <6AE 9:D 4@>A@DFC6 56DA:E6 7:?5:?8 @?=J `b\@7\ag 72:CH2JD E9C@F89 EH@ C@F?5D \\ C2?<:?8 =2DE 2>@?8 dc A=2J6CD H9@ >256 E96 4FE :? 5C:G:?8 244FC24J 3FE 2=D@ C2?<:?8 D64@?5 :? D4C2>3=:?8 A6C46?E286]k^Am
k9am\ |4x=C@J =@G6D pF8FDE2 \k^9am
kAmp7E6C 6?5:?8 2 `_\J62C >2;@C H:? 5C@F89E =2DE J62C H:E9 2? 6>@E:@?2= |2DE6CD G:4E@CJ E@ 4@>A=6E6 2 42C66C vC2?5 $=2>[ |4x=C@J 92D >256 9:>D6=7 E@ >2? E@ 362E 7@C 2 C2C6 C6A62E]k^Am
kAmQxVG6 2=H2JD =@G65 E9:D 4@FCD6 2?5 E9:D E@FC?2>6?E 6G6? H96? x 76=E :E 5:5?VE =@G6 >6 324<[Q |4x=C@J D2:5]k^Am
kAm~?=J EH@ be\9@=6 =625D :? >2;@C 8@=7 9:DE@CJ H6C6 8C62E6C E92? H92E |4x=C@J 56=:G6C65[ E96 C64@C5 ?:?6\DEC@<6 >2C8:? 3J w6?CJ r@EE@? 2E E96 `hbc qC:E:D9 ~A6? 2?5 qC@@<D z@6A<2VD D6G6?\DEC@<6 6586 2E E96 a_`h !vp r92>A:@?D9:A]k^Am
kAm|4x=C@JVD `_E9 42C66C >2;@C C@F?5 @7 ed @C =@H6C >2E4965 2 C64@C5 D92C65 3J (@@5D 2?5 sFDE:? y@9?D@?]k^Am
kAm(@@5D @H?D E96 dc\9@=6 |2DE6CD C64@C5 =625 @7 ?:?6 DEC@<6D 7C@> 9:D 7:CDE >2;@C EC:F>A9 :? `hhf[ H@? 3J 2 |2DE6CD C64@C5 `a D9@ED]k^Am
kAm%96 |2DE6CD dc\9@=6 D4@C:?8 C64@C5 :D a__ 3J y@C52? $A:6E9 :? a_`d 2?5 >2E4965 3J y@9?D@? :? a_a_]k^Am
kAm;D^62k^Am