Rory McIlroy’s major record when leading after 54 holes ahead of the final day at The Masters

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It’s the final day at The Masters, and golf fans are delighted to see Rory McIlroy holding a slender lead at the top as he looks to finally secure that elusive green jacket.

Rory McIlroy went into The Masters in the form of his life, with many claiming the Northern Irishman to be playing his best golf right now.

Once again, then, there was immense hype around McIlroy, as the golfing world waited to see whether he could finally claim The Masters title to add to his other majors honours and complete the career grand slam.

After a poor start on day one, pundits and fans were quick to write McIlroy off, but he made a stunning comeback on day three to storm into the lead. The problem is, he has Bryson DeChambeau hot on his trail, and the final day pairing will surely be electric to watch.

McIlroy may be planning to tweak his game for the all-important final round, but the fact is, his record of being in this position in the past is almost impeccable. So, if he holds his nerve and plays the game we all know he can, he will finally be getting measured up for that famous green jacket.

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Rory McIlroy has a near-perfect record when leading after 54 holes

If we look at McIlroy’s record at major tournaments, the world number two is almost flawless, with four wins out of five when leading after 54 holes.

In fact, his collapse at The Masters in 2011 is the only time he has let a 54-hole lead slip. That was a truly drastic slip-up, of course, with McIlroy throwing away a four-shot advantage to end up shooting eight over par and finishing tied for 15th.

He clearly learned to hold his nerve a lot better since then, with McIlroy emerging victorious in the 2011 and 2014 US Open and the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship’s by shooting solid final rounds after leading by the end of day three.

Over the years since that infamous failure at Augusta in 2011, McIlroy has been backed to dispel those demons by many, including the legendary Jack Nicklaus. But, a number of nearly moments have still seen him miss out on the ultimate prize.

But, it’s worth noting that it’s not just at major tournaments that McIlroy is a strong contender when taking a lead into the final day. Throughout his career, he’s either had the solo lead or a tied lead on day four in 19 tournaments, and has won 11 of them.

That 57.89% success rate could and should be higher, of course, and McIlroy’s trophy cabinet should be far more full, too. In recent years, McIlroy has been plagued by a series of chokes on the final day, whether that be from winning positions, or chasing down the leader and falling at the last.

Fans will remember well the disappointing crumble from McIlroy in the US Open last year, which allowed DeChambeau to secure the win. Now, he has the perfect chance to get revenge for that failure.

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

How Rory McIlroy took control on day three of The Masters

One noteworthy exception to McIlroy’s record when thinking about this latest advantage is that this is the first time he has been out in front on the final day when in pursuit of that career grand slam. Perhaps, this time, he will have the resilience and determination to get over the line and achieve that dream.

Day one may have been a disaster for McIlroy, finishing on an even par after a strong start. However, a six-under on day two brought the fan favourite right back into contention, with some truly unthinkable shots on hole 13 and 14 wowing the crowd.

It was day three, though, that really brought McIlroy to the fore, with a record-breaking opening six holes, scoring three on each. Despite a mini wobble in the middle, McIlroy held his nerve and secured par through the notoriously difficult holes 11 and 12.

From there, McIlroy once again pulled off some incredible play, including a stunning eagle on 15 leading to another -6 score for the day. Despite DeChambeau’s best efforts, that two-stroke lead could well be enough now for Rory.

McIlroy is tipped to get the job done on the final day, having got the scars from the past and learning from his experiences over the last few years. We know DeChambeau will not back down, but the truth is, the whole golfing world will be praying McIlroy can finally claim the jacket he’s been striving for ever since that 2011 disaster.