Rory McIlroy's Masters has gone from procession to drama in the span of 18 holes. The defending champion, who held a record six-shot lead at the halfway point on Friday, carded a one-over-par 73 on Saturday to fall into a tie at 11-under with American Cameron Young heading into Sunday's final round. Sam Burns lurks one shot back at 10-under.
McIlroy's troubles stemmed from a familiar source — wayward driving paired with a short game that couldn't bail him out the way it had in the first two rounds. He hit just eight of 14 fairways, the same number as his second-round 65, but without the recovery magic that had defined his week. Of all players who made the cut, McIlroy ranked last in driving accuracy.
"I knew it wouldn't be easy, the quality of the chasing pack is obvious," McIlroy said on Sky Sports. "I would have wanted to be in a better position going into tomorrow, but I've still got a great chance. I'm in the final group and that's where you want to be."
The 36-year-old Northern Irishman is bidding to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. Watered greens allowed favorable scoring across the field on Saturday, but McIlroy was one of just three players inside the top 28 who failed to break par. Shane Lowry sits at nine-under, while former champions Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler remain within striking distance at eight-under and seven-under, respectively.
McIlroy acknowledged the work still to be done. "I will go to the range and figure it out," he said. "I still have a great chance, but if I am going to win I will have to play better." For a player whose Masters history is defined by emotional swings — from his infamous 2011 collapse to his liberating victory last year — Sunday promises another chapter that Augusta's patrons won't want to miss.
