Good afternoon from Augusta as we bring you live coverage of The Masters leaderboard. Rory McIlroy has a two-shot lead on 12 under with Bryson DeChambeau next in line but there is an esteemed pack of golfers in hot pursuit at the front.
The Masters has a number of traditions, including that it invites winners of the most prestigious amateur tournaments to play in the tournament as well as professional players from other events. The tournament also allows competitors to use their children as caddies, which has helped create a family atmosphere and made the event popular with spectators.
After a slow start, McIlroy sprinted into the lead with a flurry of birdies in the middle part of his round. A double bogey at the 13th followed by a bogey at the 16th saw him fall back to even par, but he made a birdie at the 18th and claimed his second straight birdie to reclaim the lead on seven under.
McIlroy has been one of the most consistent golfers in this year’s tournament and is ranked first in the field for approach shots, but his short game remains an area to improve on. He has only converted one of his nine birdie chances from the greenside this week and will have to be better over the weekend if he wants to claim his first green jacket.
Bryson DeChambeau’s third-round 69 has him in the final group with Rose on Saturday. The US Open champion is the only player in the field to have shot two rounds in the 60s and will need to be even better this weekend if he wants to win his first major title.