Rory McIlroy has masterful start at Augusta and closes in on career Grand Slam

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The greatest start in the 91-year history of the Masters wasn't enough for Rory McIlroy. He delivered what looked to be a haymaker late Saturday afternoon, a 6-iron so majestic and pure that he walked 10 yards before he saw it land 6 feet away for eagle on the 15th hole.

Bryson DeChambeau wasn't the least fazed. He hit his tee shot to 4 feet for birdie on the par-3 16th, posing briefly to stare at the leaderboard, working up a gallery already delirious from a roaring, raucous at Augusta National.

“When I made that, I looked up and I said — kind of as a statement — like, ‘You know what? I’m still here. I'm going to keep going. I'm not going to back down.'”

McIlroy finished off another 6-under 66 for his first 54-hole lead in a major since he last captured one in 2014 at the PGA Championship. At stake Sunday at the Masters is a chance to end 11 years chasing the career Grand Slam, the most elite club in golf.

“It was an awesome day and it puts me in a great position going into tomorrow,” he said.

Joining him in the final group is a recent nemesis — DeChambeau — who ripped his heart out at Pinehurst No. 2 last June when he seized on McIlroy's late mistakes to win the U.S. Open.

McIlroy is the sentimental favorite for dealing with a decade of major championship heartache. DeChambeau is wildly popular as golf's greatest entertainer.

The arena is Augusta National, the greatest theater in golf that can thrill and torture the soul at every turn.

“It will be the grandest stage that we’ve had in a long time, and I’m excited for it,” DeChambeau said. "We both want to win really, really badly — shoot, there’s a lot of great players behind us, too; got to be mindful of that. It's about who can control themselves and who can execute the golf shots the best.

“It's going to be an electric atmosphere.”

It already was on a Saturday that started with McIlroy putting six straight 3s on his scorecard, which featured a chip-in for eagle on the par-5 second. It ended with DeChambeau making birdie with a putt just under 50 feet on the edge of the 18th green for a 69.

McIlroy was at 12-under 204, a two-shot lead and one round away from that coveted Masters green jacket and the grand prize that comes along with it.

Along with a memory of DeChambeau at the U.S. Open, McIlroy is also familiar with his position at Augusta National.

It was 14 years ago when McIlroy, a 21-year-old with long, curly locks and unlimited potential, took a four-shot lead into the final round of the Masters. What followed was a meltdown that left him in tears when he shot 80.

He hasn't had a better chance at that green jacket until this week, when he recovered from two double bogeys in the opening round and responded with rounds of 66-66.

Corey Conners, who went from a five-shot deficit to one shot behind McIlroy in a span of three holes on this wild Saturday, closed with eight straight pars for a 70. He was in third place, four shots behind.

No one else was closer than six shots of McIlroy. Justin Rose, who had a one-shot lead at the start of the day, shot 75 and was seven shots back.

Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and world's No. 1 player, was stuck in neutral on a thrilling afternoon with so much movement. He was having to stay in the game with tough pars and managed only two birdies in his round of 72. He also was seven shots behind.

“You can only shoot so low if you’re going to have to wedge it from 100 yards to make par,” Scheffler said.

The rest of this Saturday didn't lack for excitement, roars coming from all corners from the time McIlroy blasted his opening drive over the bunkers to set up birdie all the way to the end when DeChambeau went from a fairway bunker to the edge of the green to an unlikely birdie.

McIlroy shied away from the notion this is a rematch with DeChambeau, a chance to atone from last June when he missed two short putts down the stretch.

“The big thing is not to make it a rematch,” McIlroy said. “Stay in my own little world. There's a few people who can make a run. I have to do what I've been doing, surround myself in my own little cocoon.”

DeChambeau was fist-pumping his way around Augusta National with key short-game shots. For all his power, this was a masterclass in chipping and putting. And he relishes a shot at green jacket, especially with McIlroy at his side.

“Two behind, I couldn't ask for more,” he said.

So much of what McIlroy did was a reminder of how much it all can change. Even so, his start was nothing short of astonishing.

A wedge to 10 feet for birdie on the first hole. And after the cheers died for DeChambeau's long birdie putt at the first, McIlroy cranked up the volume by chipping in for eagle on the par-5 second. He holed a 7-foot birdie on the third, had a two-putt on the par-3 fourth and then hammered another drive — 70 yards by Conners — leaving him a 9-iron to 18 feet for yet another birdie 3.

And it could have been better. He made a soft bogey on the par-5 eighth with a weak chip from behind the green. He missed a 5-foot birdie putt from above the hole on No. 9. He three-putted from long range for bogey on the 10th.

McIlroy missed another birdie chance on the 17th, missing an 8-foot putt and he was visibly angry with himself walking off the green. Every shot matters. McIlroy knows that from experience in 2011.

Patrick Reed, who won the Masters in 2018, birdied two of the last three holes for a 69 and was at 6-under 210 along with Ludvig Aberg, the runner-up a year ago who finally got in gear with three straight birdies on the back nine for a 69.

Shane Lowry also was in the mix, getting within two shots of the lead at one point until he missed a good birdie chance at the 15th and bogeys on the final two holes for a 72. He was seven behind.

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Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, waves after making a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Shane Lowry, of Ireland, waits to play on the 17th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Scottie Scheffler Tyrrell Hatton, of England, shake hands after the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, tosses his putter on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Justin Rose hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, lines up a putt on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Bryson DeChambeau hits from the rough on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Justin Rose waves after making a putt on the sixth hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Corey Conners, of Canada, hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Jason Day, of Australia, reacts after missing a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Shane Lowry, of Ireland, reacts after missing a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, waves after making a putt on the sixth hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the rough on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after making a putt on the fifth hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump's administration announced a lawsuit Wednesday against Maine’s education department for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.

Also, a federal judge has said she'll order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison.

Here's the latest:

A prominent opponent of diversity, equity and inclusion programs is imploring President Trump to cut all federal money and strip nonprofit status at Harvard and other Ivy League schools that defy federal orders.

Conservative strategist Christopher Rufo said the government should respond to Harvard’s defiance with the same tools used to force desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement.

“Trump needs to follow through on his threat to defund one of the Ivy League universities,” Rufo said on social media Tuesday. “Cut the funding and watch the university implode.”

Harvard on Monday became the first school to openly defy sweeping orders from the Trump administration, prompting the government to freeze more than $2 billion in grants and contracts.

Rufo said Harvard has discriminated against white and Asian American students, citing events including graduation celebrations specific to certain ethnic groups, along with a 2021 theater performance exclusively “for Black-identifying audience members.”

She was asked at an unrelated news conference about the case of the El Salvador man living in Maryland who was wrongly deported to an El Salvador prison. The Supreme Court has said the administration must “facilitate” his release.

Bondi said the U.S. government would fly him back on a plane if El Salvador President Nayib Bukele wanted to return him.

“President Bukele said he was not sending him back. That’s the end of the story,” Bondi said. Even if he were to return to the U.S., the government would deport him again, Bondi said.

“He would have come back, had one extra step of paperwork and gone back again. But he’s from El Salvador, he’s in El Salvador and that’s where the president plans on keeping him,” Bondi said.

The Trump administration has alleged he’s a member of MS-13. Abrego Garcia was never charged with a crime and has denied the allegations.

Vice President JD Vance says the trip will take place April 18-24.

In Rome, Vance will meet with Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who’s scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday. He’ll also meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

His India stops include New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, which is known for the Taj Mahal, and include meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vance and his family will also visit cultural sites.

The vice president converted to Catholicism. His wife, Usha Vance, is the first Indian American person to become second lady. They have three young children.

And the World Trade Organization says that’s due to Trump’s shifting tariff policies and a standoff with China, but it would take a more severe hit if the U.S. president carries through on his toughest “reciprocal” tariffs.

The decline in trade will be particularly steep in North America even without the stiffest tariffs, the global trade forum said Wednesday, with exports there this year expected to fall by 12.6% and imports by 9.6%.

The WTO based its report on the tariff situation as of Monday. Initially, 2025 and 2026 were expected to have continued expansion of world trade, but Trump’s trade war forced WTO economists to substantially downgrade their forecast, the forum said.

▶ Read more about the WTO’s trade forecast

This morning, at 11:30 a.m., Trump will receive an intelligence briefing. Later this evening, at 6:30 p.m., he will attend an Easter prayer service and dinner.

It’s fueled by a spending spree on big ticket items from gadgets to cars before Trump’s expansive new tariffs started kicking in.

Retail sales rose 1.4% in March, after rising 0.2% in February, according to the Commerce Department. Retail sales fell 1.2% in January, hurt in part by cold weather that kept more Americans indoors, denting sales at car dealers and most other stores.

Excluding sales at auto dealers, sales only rose 0.5%.

Sales at auto dealers rose 5.3%, while electronics retailers had a 0.8% increase. Sporting goods retailers enjoyed a 2.4% gain.

But analysts expect sales will start falling off as the slew of tariffs increase costs for companies and many retailers are forced to raise prices, hurting shopper demand.

▶ Read more about U.S. retail sales

The administration announced the lawsuit Wednesday against Maine’s education department for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.

The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that’s led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding and a clash at the White House when she told the president: “We’ll see you in court.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the legal action at a news conference in Washington alongside former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has emerged as a public face of the opposition to transgender athletes.

▶ Read more about the lawsuit over transgender athletes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris this week for talks with European allies on U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

The State Department said Wednesday that Rubio and Witkoff would be in the French capital Thursday for the meetings, details of which weren’t immediately available.

The pair will have “talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed.”

Rubio will also “discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Newsom is challenging Trump’s authority to impose a 10% tariff on all imports.

The state, which will file the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, will ask the court to immediately block the tariffs.

Newsom said the tariffs “are wreaking chaos” on Californians and threatening jobs in the state, which has the largest economy in the nation.

“We’re standing up for American families who can’t afford to let the chaos continue,” he said.

The Democratic governor previously asked countries to exempt California exports from retaliatory tariffs.

Trump said in a morning post on his social media platform that he’ll attend the Wednesday meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

“Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!” the president wrote.

Trump’s announcement last week of a 90-day pause on the latest series of duties put Japan’s 24% across-the-board rate on hold, but a 10% baseline tariff and a 25% tariff on cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. remain in place.

Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa, was traveling to Washington for the talks.

On Monday, Harvard became the first university to openly defy the Trump administration as it demands sweeping changes to limit activism on campus. The university frames the government’s demands as a threat not only to the Ivy League school but to the autonomy that the Supreme Court has long granted American universities.

Both sides are digging in for a clash that could test the limits of the government’s power and the independence that has made U.S. universities a destination for scholars around the world.

But no university is better positioned to put up a fight than Harvard, whose $53 billion endowment is the largest in the nation. But like other major universities, Harvard also depends on the federal funding that fuels its scientific and medical research. It’s unclear how long Harvard could continue without the frozen money.

For the Trump administration, Harvard presents the first major hurdle in its attempt to force change at universities that Republicans say have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism.

▶ Read more about the clash between Harvard and the Trump administration

Trump said he wants to give money and an airplane ticket to any immigrant who is in the country illegally who chooses to “self-deport,” and work to get those who are “good” back in the U.S., a break from his usual hardline immigration rhetoric.

Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to carry out mass deportations, said in a taped interview with Fox Noticias that aired Tuesday that his administration is focused right now on getting “murderers” out of the country. But for others in the U.S. illegally, he said, he’s going to implement “a self-deportation program.”

Trump offered few details about the plan, including timing, but said the U.S. would provide immigrants airfare and a stipend.

“We’re going to give them a stipend. We’re going to give them some money and a plane ticket, and then we’re going to work with them — if they’re good — if we want them back in, we’re going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can,” Trump said.

▶ Read more about Trump’s comments on “self-deportation”

A federal judge said Tuesday that she will order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland issued her order after Trump officials continually refused to retrieve Abrego Garcia. She said they defied a “clear” Supreme Court order.

She also downplayed Monday’s comments by White House officials and El Salvador’s president that they were unable to bring back Abrego Garcia, describing their statements as “two very misguided ships passing in the night.”

“The Supreme Court has spoken,” Xinis said, adding that what was said in the Oval Office on Monday “is not before the court.”

In her written order published Tuesday evening, Xinis called for the testimony of four Trump administration officials who work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.

▶ Read more about Judge Xinis’s comments

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Commander-in-Chief trophy presentation to the Navy Midshipman football team in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump speaks during the Commander-in-Chief trophy presentation to the Navy Midshipman football team in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)