Billy Horschel claims people don’t understand how good one shot Rory McIlroy hit during the third round of The Masters really was

Add as preferred source on Google

If Rory McIlroy goes on and wins The Masters for the first time in his career on Sunday, few will ever forget the performance the Northern Irishman produced at the start of the third round.

Rory McIlroy was one of the players who had some catching up to do heading into the weekend at Augusta National. A stunning 66 on Friday brought the 35-year-old back into the mix following his dramatic collapse late on in his first round.

But it seemed that McIlroy had hit the front in no time at all on Saturday. He found himself at five under par after five holes, with an eagle coming on the second hole. That took him to 11 under par for the tournament and saw him open up a significant lead on the chasing pack.

His first four of the day came on the seventh. But there was still a moment of magic from the four-time major champion as he managed to save par.

Billy Horschel stunned by Rory McIlroy during the third round at The Masters

McIlroy had been wayward off the tee and could only advance his ball up towards the left of the green. He managed to avoid all of the bunkers guarding the putting surface, but it seems that any notion that he faced a simple third shot would be wide of the mark.

McIlroy set up the par with a sumptuous chip. But taking to social media, Billy Horschel insisted that the third shot deserves a lot more credit than it shall probably receive.

Rory McIlroy made Masters history during the third round

It will not surprise many to learn that McIlroy made Masters history with his start to the third round. He absolutely flew out of the blocks and seemed set to take complete charge of the tournament.

McIlroy became the first player to begin a round at The Masters with six consecutive threes. His energy was remarkable as he appeared to be flying down fairways and hitting perfect shots at every opportunity.

The shine started to come off his round towards the turn, with an unforced error leading to a bogey on the par five eighth. But there is no question that there is almost no-one in the game who could have put their foot on the accelerator in the manner McIlroy did at the start of the third round.