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Dominant McIIroy edges closer to U.S. Open glory

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Rory McIlroy leads U.S. Open after 3 rds
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rory McIlroy fires a 68 to finish with the lowest score after 54 holes in U.S. Open history
  • He has double the advantage going into the final round that he had at the U.S. Masters
  • His nearest challenger, South Korea's Y.E. Yang, cards a 70 to sit on six-under-par

(CNN) -- Rory McIlroy tightened his grip on the U.S. Open at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland Saturday, after another commanding display in the third round earned him an eight-stroke lead.

The 22-year old shot a 68 to finish on 14-under-par, the lowest score after 54 holes in the history of the tournament.

His nearest challenger and playing partner, South Korea's Y.E. Yang, carded a 70 to sit on six-under-par, one clear of Lee Westwood, Jason Day and Robert Garrigus.

The Northern Irishman, who surrendered a four-stroke lead going into the final day at this year's U.S. Masters, knows it will take a collapse of more epic proportions to deprive him of his first Major tournament victory.

Can McIIroy conquer Masters demons?

You run out of superlatives to describe what he's doing this week. He's decimating a field.
--Graeme McDowell on McIIroy
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No player has lost such an advantage after 54 holes of a Major since the very first Open Championship in 1860.

In 1996, Australia's Greg Norman went into the final day of the Masters leading by six strokes before his game disintegrated, allowing Englishman Nick Faldo to surge past him and win by five.

"Overall, I'm very happy with the way I played today," McIlroy told reporters, in quotes carried by PGAtour.com. "Now, I just have to do that for 18 more holes."

Starting the day six shots ahead -- which equaled Tiger Woods' record for the best score at the halfway point in a tournament -- McIlroy was quickly into the groove as he carded two birdies at the fifth and ninth holes.

He quickly made amends for a dropped shot at 10 by making birdie at the 11th, after his approach shot to the flag left him with an 18ft putt which he holed.

He picked up another shot on 14, arrowing in a six-footer to make history on 14-under-par, before he missed the chance to go one better at the last hole when he two-putted from 10ft away.

Meanwhile, defending champion and fellow Ulsterman, Graeme McDowell, finished with a 69 to leave him level par for the tournament, while new World No.1 Luke Donald could only manage a disappointing 74, for seven-under-par -- a massive 21 strokes off the lead.

McDowell described McIIroy's performance as "just phenomenal."

He told reporters: "You run out of superlatives to describe what he's doing this week. He's decimating a field."