For much of Saturday’s third round at the 2025 Masters, Bryson DeChambeau played second fiddle to Rory McIlroy. But just before darkness fell at Augusta National, DeChambeau stole back the momentum with an electrifying birdie at the 18th hole.
McIlroy charges, DeChambeau hits back
To say DeChambeau got off to a slow start on Saturday would be incorrect. It was only slow in relation to McIlroy’s own opening charge. While Bryson made birdies at 1 and 2, McIlroy went birdie-eagle over the same stretch, taking over the Masters lead in the process.
Bryson DeChambeau is the perfect villain in Rory McIlroy’s game
After DeChambeau made bogey at 3 and McIlroy continued a historic stretch of six-straight 3s to start, McIlroy took top billing for the rest of the day.
But Bryson hung around, and when he arrived at 15 with four holes to play, he made his move.
From just off the green at the par-5 13th, he hit a nifty chip then holed his birdie putt to move to eight under. His tee shot at 16 ended up just a few feet from the hole. He drained that to reach nine under.
Bryson’s birdie bomb
But at the 18th hole, DeChambeau seemed to temporarily run out of gas. After a monster drive, he hit a disappointing approach to just off the back edge of the green, a distant 48 feet from the cup.
A three-putt on the treacherous closing green was a distinct possibility, which would have led to a deflating bogey.
But then DeChambeau stepped up and hit a perfect putt that rolled right into the hole for an incredibly unlikely birdie 3.
When his putt dropped, DeChambeau put on a celebration fitting for the moment, fist-pumping around the green while the patrons went into hysterics.
Check out the moment below.
DeChambeau continued the celebration as he walked off the green, high-fiving fans and shouting as he made his way to the scoring tent.
After his round, DeChambeau talked of the momentum reversal, saying, “I’m still here. I’m going to keep going. I’m not going to back down.”
DeChambeau’s three closing birdies moved him to 10 under in sole possession of second place. More importantly, it narrowed McIlroy’s lead to two shots heading into what should be a historic final round on Sunday.
Masters Sunday for Rory and Bryson
So what’s at stake on Sunday at the Masters for the two stars at the top of the leaderboard? A whole lot.
Neither McIlroy nor Bryson DeChambeau have won the Masters, but both players have multiple major wins. McIlroy got off to a hot start to his career, winning the 2011 U.S. Open and adding three more major titles by the end of 2014.
Grand slam primer: What’s at stake for Rory McIlroy on Masters Sunday
But it’s been over 10 years since he’s stood in the winner’s circle at a major. And the Masters has given him fits, most famously in 2011, when he held a four-shot lead at the turn on Sunday only to collapse and lose the green jacket.
DeChambeau, on the other hand, has two major wins in his career, but they both are recent.
Bryson captured his first U.S. Open title in 2020 at Winged Foot, then won the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 last year. The player he beat at Pinehurst? Rory McIlroy, of course.
