AUGUSTA, Ga. — Somewhere in Augusta on Saturday night, Rory McIlroy will watch Penelope Featherington ask Colin Bridgerton for a kiss, signaling a major shift in their evolving relationship at the end of the Bridgerton episode McIlroy says is next up. (Shh, don’t spoil it for him.) Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau will be watching Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, perhaps trying to stop World War III or recovering from his North Korean torture stint.
It’s a contrast as clear as you’d expect from the personalities of the two men in Sunday’s final pairing at the Masters. After a third-round 66, McIlroy leads DeChambeau by two shots heading into the final round, in what will be a rematch of the 2024 U.S. Open, where DeChambeau’s late heroics and McIlroy’s short putts saw the American take Round One and the trophy.
“I’ll have some dinner. Maybe try to make it through the second episode of the third season of ‘Bridgerton.’ I fell asleep during episode one last night,” McIlroy said when asked about his plans for Saturday night. “Sort of put the phone away, don’t look at it. Try not to look at it until [Sunday] night.”
“The one thing I’ve tried to do a good job of this week is just not being on the phone and just trying to stay clear of that and do other things,” McIlroy reiterated just minutes later.
Rory McIlroy acknowledges gallery on the 18th hole.
Photo by JD Cuban
It’s a strategy that McIlroy says is all about staying in his own bubble in an effort to block out the noise surrounding what would be a historic Sunday if he won the Masters to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Just as McIlroy and DeChambeau’s taste in Netflix differs, so too does their approach to phone use during a major championship. “For me, it’s going to be practicing a little bit before it gets dark, eating, looking at my phone. I don’t have a problem with that,” DeChambeau said in what may be taken as a subtle jab at McIlroy, or if nothing else, an acknowledgement of the contrast.
After a day of questionable iron play in which DeChambeau found only nine of 18 greens in regulation, there was work to be done, and while McIlroy’s strong ball-striking may afford him a timely dinner, not so for DeChambeau, who said he would not leave the driving range on Saturday night until he had it right.
Bryson DeChambeau celebrates with fans in the third round.
Photo by Stephen Denton
“It’s based on my feels, or if the sun is telling me I can’t go anymore,” DeChambeau said when asked when he’ll let himself leave the range on Saturday night. “It’s really just based on how I’m feeling and the club going through the ground and how much control I have over the face to hit any and every shot I want.”
Dinner, “Bridgerton,” no phone. Range, Bond, phone. Get past the humor of two grown men sharing the bedtime routines with the world, the contrast in routines so appropriately reflects their differing personalities: McIlroy, a cultured romantic at times overwhelmed by the expectations and chatter around his what-ifs versus DeChambeau, a combative scientist grasping his phone to see if the world sees him as the villain or hero that he’s alternated between in his career.
Who are you pulling for on Sunday? That is to say, are you more curious to see how Penelope and Colin’s love blossoms or if Bond will stop World War III?
Masters 101: Answering all your frequently asked questions
How to watch the 2025 Masters
Power Rankings: Every player in the Masters field, ranked
Tee times for Round 1 and Round 2
50 defining Masters Moments, ranked
The most memorable Rules issues in Masters history
Before and after photos of Augusta National’s tree loss from Hurricane Helene
Every course change ever made at Augusta National
A brief history of Masters prize money payouts
15 people who ended up in the Masters penalty box
The Champions Dinner Tell-All, from those inside the room
When Lee Elder desegregated the Masters
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
