McIlroy Tied with Young After Squandering Historic Lead at The Masters

Rory McIlroy's bid for back-to-back Masters titles suffered a significant setback as he lost a six-shot lead, ending the third round tied with Cameron Young at 11 under par. McIlroy, who had the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history, struggled with a slow start and dropped three shots in two holes around Amen Corner, allowing Young to surge into contention with a stunning seven-under 65. McIlroy responded with consecutive birdies but bogeyed the 17th, leaving him level with Young ahead of the final round. Sam Burns is one shot off the pace, while Shane Lowry, who achieved a hole-in-one, is among eight players within four strokes of the lead. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler also charged back into contention with a 65. McIlroy's inconsistent performance included a two-shot swing at the first and a momentum-shifting birdie at the third. Young, playing five groups ahead, reached the turn in 32 and started his second nine with a birdie, taking the outright lead before McIlroy edged back ahead. However, McIlroy's double-bogey at the 11th and another dropped shot at the 12th handed Young the advantage, which McIlroy later reclaimed with back-to-back birdies. The pair will go out together in the final group on Sunday, with McIlroy acknowledging that he needs to improve to win. 'I still have a great chance, but if I'm going to win tomorrow, I'm going to have to be a little bit better than I was today,' McIlroy said.