AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Rory McIlroy will need a huge Sunday rally -- and some help -- if he is to win a third straight major championship and complete the career Grand Slam.
After a promising start at Augusta National on Saturday, McIlroy bogeyed two of the last three holes to settle for a 4-under-par 68. He played the final nine holes in even-par 36 after going out in 32 and finds himself 10 strokes back of Jordan Spieth.
"I'll try and get off to a good start like I did today," McIlroy said after completing 54 holes at 210, 6 under par. "If I do that it really depends... if I was to go out and shoot 30, I'm going to need something around 61 or 62 to have a chance. Not sure that's going to happen."
McIlroy, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, was dejected after letting those strokes get away, his dreams of making history Sunday all but gone.
Nonetheless, there was some good play from the Northern Irishman, who followed a first-nine 40 on Friday with a 31, then shot 32 going out Saturday for an 18-hole stretch of 63.
He eagled the second, birdied the eighth and ninth, then got to 8 under for the tournament with birdies at the 13th and 15th holes.
After playing the par-5s in even-par last year, he has been so much better on the scoring holes this time, playing them in 11 under.
"I've put myself in good position, tried to hit it in the middle of the green and take my two putts, rolled one in for eagle at the second today,'' he said. "Just played them a little more conservatively or smartly and missed it in the right areas when I haven't."
But he couldn't avoid the bad stretch of holes that has hurt him at Augusta over the years. Last year he shot 40 on the back nine on Friday. This year it was on the front nine, four crucial shots gone.
"Silly mistakes,'' he said. "I missed a couple of short ones yesterday on the greens. I don't really know but I feel like I play this golf course better and better every year that I come here. I know I need to keep putting numbers up there like I did today.
"But a few stretches of holes have really held me back, and that's been the case this time as well."
McIlroy posted his best finish at the Masters a year ago, a tie for eighth, after rebounding from a second-round 77.
He tees off at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday with Tiger Woods.