AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy knows better than most how quickly fortunes can change in the Masters.

He was eight shots behind Friday and headed to the scariest par 3 at Augusta National in tree-shaking wind. All that mattered was picking the right club, hoping for the right wind and getting it somewhere on the 12th green. He did just that, made his par and began an important climb back into contention.

With birdies on the par 5s and a bonus birdie from a 40-foot putt on the par-3 16th, McIlroy recovered for a 1-under 71 that left him one shot behind Jordan Spieth and in the final group going into the weekend.

“The most comfortable thing for me on this golf course is knowing that even if you are five or six shots back, things can change quite quickly,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been on the opposite end of that where things can start to get away from you.”

A green jacket is all that keeps McIlroy from the career Grand Slam. He looked to have that wrapped up five years ago when he took a four-shot lead into the final round, only to close with an 80 and finish 10 shots behind.

McIlroy is a long way from redemption. The Masters doesn’t really get started until the weekend.

But it’s clearly on his mind.

“I sort of feel that Augusta owes me something, and I have come with that attitude,” McIlroy said to Irish radio network RTE.