Masters 2018: Patrick Reed leads Rory McIlroy by three into final round

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It was a five-under front nine from the world number seven, his lowest at Augusta National.

At the 13th, as torrential rain began to fall, his second plummeted into the brightly coloured azaleas to the left of the green and he did well to salvage par.

He birdied the par-five 15th and then holed from 17 feet for another at the last to equal his lowest Masters round and ensure he will partner Reed in Sunday's final round at 19:40 BST - which you can watch, live and uninterrupted on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website from 18:30.

The four-time major winner has history against American Reed, having been edged out by one hole in a classic Ryder Cup duel at Hazeltine in 2016.

A defiant McIlroy said: "Patrick has a three-shot lead but I feel like all the pressure is on him. He has got to protect that and he has some pretty big-time players behind him."

McIlroy made a superb start playing alongside Henrik Stenson in the penultimate group.

He birdied three of the first six holes and then a chip from the undulations off to the right of the eighth green hit the flag and rattled into the cup for an eagle to give him a share of the lead on nine under.

 

Northern Irishman McIlroy, who will become the sixth man to win the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors if he wins at Augusta, is second on 11 under.

Two ahead overnight to lead outright for the first time in a major, world number 24 Reed made two eagles in a 67.

Rickie Fowler (65) is third on nine under, one ahead of Jon Rahm (65).

The last four champions at Augusta had already won in that season, but of those within six of the lead after two rounds this year, only McIlroy, world number one Dustin Johnson and number two Justin Thomas have tasted victory so far in 2018.