Double Major winning Rory McIlroy has one hand on the famed Claret Jug heading to the final round of the 143rd Open Championship.

McIlroy went into the second round leading  by four and at the end of day three the 25-year old was a massive six shots ahead of nearest rival, Rickie Fowler.

“I feel like today my patience was rewarded,” he said.

“I didn’t get off to the best of starts again, and had a few chances around the turn to make birdies, and I wasn’t able to do that and then dropped a shot.

“But I made a big par on 13 and then to make that birdie on 14 was a bonus.

Rory McIlroy looking to finish No. 1 in the 2014 Open Championship. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

“And then to finish the way I did speaks for itself. I was just sort of waiting for those two holes.  I felt like I was driving the ball well, and if I could drive it on the fairway on 16 and 18, I knew I would have irons into the greens for my second  shots.  And to be able to make two threes coming in was very important, and sets me up nicely for tomorrow.”

McIlroy arrived at Hoylake having competed in six previous Open Championships with his best finish being T3rd in the 2010 Open at St. Andrews where he had led the first round with an Old Course record-setting 63.

Now four years later the Northern Irishman is on target to win three different Majors in succession after ending his third round in sensational manner – eagle, bogey and eagle – in a round of 68 for a 16-under par tally.

If so, it would mean McIlroy would add the 2014 Open to his 2011 U.S. Open victory and 2012 PGA Tour success and he would join  Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to have won three different Majors in the modern era at age 25 years or younger.

And McIlroy was quizzed what it would mean if he were to win a first Open Championship.

“It would mean a lot of hype going into Augusta next year (laughing),” he said.

“There is not many golfers who have achieved the Grand Slam.  And if everything goes right tomorrow to get to that three-quarters of the way then it is some achievement by the age of 25.

“I’d be in pretty illustrious company.  So not getting ahead of myself, it would mean an awful lot.  I never thought I would be in this position.  I didn’t think that I’d even have the chance at 25 to go for three legs of the Grand Slam.”