Jason Day won't count out a miraculous final-day Masters charge but figures Rory McIlroy deserves his place among the greats of golf should he complete his Augusta National revenge mission.
Australian hope Day carded a one-under 71 on Saturday to be five under and seven shots behind leader McIlroy entering the final round.
Day has made just three bogeys for the tournament, left to rue countless missed birdie putts and an awkward moment on Saturday that had him chipping from the centre of the 16th green.
At six under on the back nine he was one putt away from edging within two shots of the lead before McIlroy kicked away again.
The former world No.1 is holding on to hope that "anything can happen" at Augusta on Sunday.
"I mean, it's low," Day, who has posted rounds of 70, 70 and 71, said of what he'd need to shoot to win.
"It just all depends on what he (McIlroy) does.
"You can climb your way up pretty quick.
"You want to go over there and break every club in his bag, but that's just not going to work."
Jason Day chips in on No. 14 to regain a tie for fifth place. #themasters pic.twitter.com/krQezMTGds
- The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2025
Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, tipped his cap to McIlroy ahead of the Northern Irishman's final-group duel with American nemesis Bryson DeChambeau, who is just two shots back.
McIlroy, who won the last of his four majors in 2014, is chasing the first golfing career grand slam since Tiger Woods completed the sweep in 2000.
The sentimental favourite blew a four-shot, ดูบอลสด liveวันนี้ final-round lead in 2011 and led last year's US Open by two shots before late slip-ups gifted DeChambeau the title.
"Yes, if he goes ahead and wins it tomorrow," Day said when asked if McIlroy belongs next to Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as a great of the game.
"He's the best player of our generation, for sure. He just makes things look so easy.
"There's obviously pressure, but he has pressure every single week.
"He seemed very focused, determined to obviously accomplish that.
"It doesn't look like he's focusing on it (the slam).
"I know it's in the back of his mind, but I think he's running off so much confidence and he has so much belief in his game ... like he knows it's going to happen.
"And when you're playing like that, it's very dangerous."
Day almost holed out on his approach to the 18th after scrambling from under the pines, his iron hitting above the cup and spinning back past the hole.
He had earlier chipped in for birdie on the 14th but bogeyed the par-3 16th after his iron didn't run down the slope after landing in the centre of the green.
He opted to chip from the green to avoid the most severe slope and apply some spin.
It dribbled past the hole and his par putt just missed.
"There's a couple of greens out there that I think are too severe," he said.
"That one I actually hit a pretty good shot going into the green.
"(Land it) a yard left and it's down the hill and you've got a birdie opportunity.
"But you're standing on the green thinking, 'If I putt it the best chance I've got is 10 feet, other than if I hole it'."
