McIlroy Confident Ahead of Masters Sunday

Rory McIlroy is confident he can deliver after taking a four-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round of the Masters.

The 21-year-old Northern Irishman pulled away from playing partner Jason Day and other challengers including Tiger Woods on Saturday with three birdies in the last six holes.

The last came with a double-breaking 30-foot putt on the 17th hole after McIlroy rescued himself from an errant drive.

"That was a bonus," he said. "I hit the putt perfectly where I lined it up. It was tracking the whole way and just dropped in the middle.

"It was great timing," added McIlroy, who otherwise had a day to forget with his putter in a round of 70.

McIlroy's lead after 54 Masters holes is the largest since Woods held a nine-stroke advantage in 1997.

Huge moment

The former world number one proceeded to turn that into a record 12-shot win - something which fired the imagination of the very young McIlroy.

"I remember watching with my dad," the world number nine said. "I was what, seven years old when that happened?

"That's when Tiger sort of grabbed all our imaginations and won it by 12 and broke so many records. It was a huge moment in the game of golf."

If he is to win the green jacket on Sunday, however, McIlroy said any such success would not be comparable with Woods' breakthrough.

"Not really. He's done so much more for the game than I ever could or will, breaking down barriers," he said. "But a win for me, personally, it would be huge. It would be huge.

"And for the game of golf, it would be nice, as well. It would be nice to get a major early and show some of the young guys that it is possible."

McIlroy is determined not to get ahead of himself, although he is confident he can once again produce the sort of form that has taken him on to a 12 under total.

"We'll see what happens tomorrow, because four shots on this golf course isn't that much," he said before adding: "I feel very comfortable with the way I'm swinging it at the minute.

"I've hit a lot of good shots over the last three days, and there's no reason why I won't be able to do that tomorrow."

Spurred on

McIlroy, who has yet to three-putt on Augusta's lightning-fast greens, also revealed he is being spurred on by countryman Graeme McDowell - last year's US Open champion having failed to make the cut.

"Actually he just texted me and told me he loves me. I don't know what that means," McIlroy said to laughs from reporters.

"I don't know if that's him or the beer talking."