Rory McIlroy quipped having a short memory will aid his bid to end his major drought on Sunday, having taken a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Masters.

McIlroy entered Saturday's third round three shots back of overnight leader Justin Rose, but he emerged two shots clear of second-placed Bryson DeChambeau. 

His six-under-par 66 was his 21st round of 66 or better at the majors. Only Tiger Woods (28) has more since the first edition of the Masters in 1934. 

All four of McIlroy's major wins came in 2014 or earlier, with the Northern Irishman enduring a series of heartbreaking near misses in his quest for a fifth.

Perhaps the worst of those came at last year's U.S. Open, when two missed putts from close range on the final three holes allowed DeChambeau to snatch the title.

But McIlroy has closed out every major where he has held the 54-shot lead except the 2011 Masters, where a back-nine meltdown on the final day cost him.

"I still have to remind myself that there's a long way to go," he said. "I, just as much as anyone else, know what can happen on the final day here.

"I've got a lot of experience – and thankfully I've got a short memory."

On Masters Saturday it was hard to ignore Rory McIlroy. On Sunday, there's an entire field—and one long hitter in particular—hoping to steal that spotlight from him. #themasters pic.twitter.com/DaiPZHGENu

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025

McIlroy is aiming to win a career Grand Slam on Sunday, with only five players previously accomplishing that feat.

He is looking to follow in the footsteps of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods, and he believes taking things one shot at a time will benefit him.

"I am a momentum player," he said. "There is a balance. You have to ride that momentum as much as you can but temper it with a little bit of rationale and logic.

"It's a fine dance. I certainly don't want to be a robot but at the same time, I don't want to be too animated either."

DeChambeau will join McIlroy in the final group to head out on Sunday, and backed by a supportive crowd at Augusta, he is excited by the prospect of an enthralling battle.

"It's always important in a major championship to try and be in the final group or close to the final group," said DeChambeau, who sank a fantastic putt on the 18th to close out Saturday's round. 

"It was definitely fun knowing that it was Rory and knowing that we could have a good matchup.

"We're not the only players out there. There's still a lot of great players. But it's going to be a fun test."