What happens when a golfer decides that pars are overrated? You get Matt McCarty's third round at the Cadillac Championship—a wild ride that had fans on the edge of their seats at Trump National Doral.

McCarty kicked off Saturday with a statement: a 9-foot eagle putt on the par-5 opening hole. But that was just the appetizer. Over the next six holes, he served up a chaotic mix of four birdies and two bogeys, leaving no room for boredom. It wasn't until the par-5 8th hole that he finally carded his first par of the day—a tap-in after missing a 12-foot birdie try.

His short game was on fire, too. On the par-4 5th hole, he chipped from 86 yards to within eight inches of the cup, setting up an easy birdie. The rollercoaster continued through the turn, and by the time the round was over, McCarty had posted a 3-under 69 with only six pars on his scorecard. "Kind of roller coaster early," McCarty said. "I played really solid."

This wasn't a one-day phenomenon either. Going back to Friday's second round, McCarty had strung together nine consecutive holes without a par, finishing that day with back-to-back bogeys. Starting Saturday in 12th place, eight shots behind leader Cameron Young, his adventurous play briefly vaulted him as high as a tie for second.

While McCarty's par-free start was thrilling, it fell well short of a PGA Tour record. Since ShotLink tracking began in 2004, the mark belongs to Per-Ulrik Johansson, who opened the 2004 Valero Texas Open with 12 straight non-pars—a dizzying sequence of birdies, bogeys, and even a triple-bogey.

For now, McCarty sits at 8 under heading into Sunday's final round. Whether he finds more pars—or keeps the adventure going—one thing's for sure: his round was anything but ordinary.