Rory McIlroy’s Masters lead vanished during a shaky third-round 73, leaving him tied with Cameron Young at 11-under entering Sunday at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy looked like he was on the verge of taking full control of the Masters. Instead, Saturday at Augusta National turned into another tense chapter in his long and complicated history with the tournament.
Entering the third round with a six-shot lead, McIlroy seemed set up for a smooth march toward Sunday.
But the round quickly got messy. He carded a 1-over 73, saw his cushion disappear and now heads into the final round tied for the lead at 11-under with Cameron Young, who charged into contention with a brilliant 65.
McIlroy admitted afterward, “Didn’t quite have it today.”
That was clear early. In a matter of minutes, his comfortable advantage was trimmed, and the round never fully settled down. Even though he remains in the final pairing, the pressure has completely shifted.
What looked like a possible runaway is now one of the most wide-open Sunday finishes in recent Masters history.
The numbers tell the story. McIlroy has hit just 21 of 42 fairways through three rounds and ranked tied for 47th on Saturday in greens in regulation, hitting 10 of 18.
His misses have come from both sides, and that lack of control showed up in a costly double bogey at the par-4 11th after a pulled approach found the water.
Still, McIlroy hasn’t lost belief.
“There’s a long way to go,” he said. “I’m still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can’t forget that. But I do know that I’m going to have to be better if I want a chance to win.”
Young, meanwhile, has become a major factor after playing his last 45 holes in 15-under. He said, “You are just constantly aware of the fact that this place can bite you.”
McIlroy knows that better than anyone.
“I’m in the final group,” he said. “I just need to go to the range and try to figure it out a little bit.”
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