Final Round of Masters a Showdown Between Reed and McIlroy

Rory McIlroy faces reprise of his 2016 Ryder Cup showdown.

Masters
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot during the third round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

There are other golfers with a mathematical shot at winning the Masters Sunday, but the reality is that all eyes will be on leader Patrick Reed and the man chasing him, Rory McIlroy. There is more for McIlroy to chase: the last major tournament missing from his long-coveted career grand slam.

Reed is setting the pace with 14 under par after Saturday, three shots ahead of his rival and five shots ahead of everyone else.

Golf fans, of course, can be forgiven from feeling deja vu. This is set up to be a reprise of their classic showdown in the 2016 Ryder Cup.

As Sports Illustrated‘s Michael Rosenberg writes:  “When McIlroy is playing well—and lately, he has played exceptionally wellhe struts down the fairways with a cool confidence, as if to say: Why, yes, those are my biceps, thanks for noticing. Reed always looks like there is a cheeseburger riding on this round and he expects to be the one who eats it. Different styles, but the same root cause: extreme self-confidence.”

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