Key Points

Sahith Theegala (73), dropped late bogeys on the 14th and the 18th which wiped out his two birdies on the 16th and the 17th.

Debutant Aaron Rai suffered three bogeys on the fourth, sixth and 10th, but rallied superbly with four birdies in a row from the 13th only to finish bogey-bogey for a 73. Theegala and Rai were both 1-over for 54 holes and Tied-30th.

Akshay Bhatia (75), who also joined like Sahith, had two birdies against five bogeys and was T-52.

Bhatia will play the final round with former Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama as Rai and Theegala play together.

Meanwhile, at Rory McIlroy was all set to take on Bryson DeChambeau in a thriller that will mark the final round at the 2025 Masters. If McIlroy, who has won four Majors, wins he will complete a career Grand Slam and join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in the elite club.

A career Grand Slam is said to have been achieved when a player has won all Majors at least once.

This is the sixth time McIlroy is holding the lead going into the final round of a Major and the first time since at the Masters since 2011, when as a 21-year-old, he failed on the fourth day for an 80 and finished T-15.

The other four times he has held at least a share of the lead after 54 holes, McIlroy has won.

The Northern Irishman (72-66-66) shot a second straight 66 to get to 12-under, while DeChambeau (69-68-69) shot a third straight round in the 60s to get to 10-under.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (72) needs a big final round as he is seven behind and in tied sixth place with overnight leader Justin Rose (75), Shane Lowry (72) and Jason Day (71).

Other stars in contention, albeit a little distant, are Corey Conners of Canada carded 70 to be third at 8-under. Past Masters champion Patrick Reed (69) was fourth at 6-under with Swede Ludvig Aberg (69).

McIlroy, who started the third day two behind the 36-hole leader, Justin Rose (73), opened with a sizzling birdie-eagle-birdie run and then added one more to go 5-under through six holes. He faltered with bogeys on the eighth and the tenth, before finding his momentum a second time in the day with a birdie on the 13th and a second eagle on the 15th followed by a stream of steady pars to get to 12-under.

DeChambeau, too, began superbly with birdies on the first two holes, but bogeys on the third, seventh and the 12th pushed him back though he again closed with three birdies to be 10-under.

- ANI