RORY’S MASTERS CLASSY...

Red-hot Ror keeps pace with Reed at Augusta

RORY MCILROY and Patrick Reed were threatening to set up a repeat of their Ryder Cup showdown as damp conditions failed to prevent fireworks in the third round of the Masters. Mcilroy began the day five shots off the lead held by Reed (below), but birdied the third and fourth and then almost holed his tee shot on the sixth. And the best was yet to come as the former world number one chipped in for an eagle on the par-five eighth in pursuit of the

win he needs to complete the career grand slam.

The fast start briefly put the 28-year-old Northern Irishman alone in front until Reed reclaimed his perch with birdies at the eighth and ninth holes.

A bogey on the 12th cut Reed’s lead to two, but he responded with an eagle on the 13th - where Mcilroy had to save par from deep in the Azaleas left of the green - and another on 15 to move five clear.

Spain’s Jon Rahm (below) had set the clubhouse target on eight under after a flawless 65, the lowest score of the week.

European number one Tommy Fleetwood, who played alongside Tiger Woods in the first two rounds, was two shots further back after a superb 66 which included six birdies, including five in a row from the 12th.

“The course was playing a lot easier,” said Fleetwood, whose only bogey came from a three-putt on the 18th. “The greens were pretty soft and the wind was not really blowing very hard. If there was ever a day to shoot a good round here, this was it.

“It’s a bit weird walking off disappointed with a 66. I played great on the front nine without holing any putts and after misjudging a short one on 11 it was nice to getting something going after that.

“Today was just about doing the best I could, my first weekend at Augusta and I wasn’t thinking about the lead at all.”

Woods, who began the day 13 shots back of Reed, failed to mount any sort of charge. Woods opened with two consecutive bogeys en route to an even-par 72.

“It’s been scratchy this week. I just haven’t gotten it done,” said Woods. “I feel like I’m driving it better than I have all year, but not capitalising on it. And when I did miss it was in the wrong spots.”

Three-times winner Phil Mickelson followed an opening triple-bogey with a bogey at the second and ended up sitting at seven over for the week.