McIlroy Tied with Young After Historic Collapse at The Masters

Rory McIlroy's bid for back-to-back Masters titles suffered a significant setback as he squandered a record six-shot lead, leaving him tied with Cameron Young heading into the final round. McIlroy's chances of joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as a consecutive champion took a hit on a dramatic Saturday at Augusta National. The world No 2 began the weekend with the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history but saw his hopes derailed after a slow start to his third round, where he dropped three shots in two holes around the iconic Amen Corner. Young, meanwhile, surged from eight strokes behind to take the clubhouse lead with a stunning seven-under 65. McIlroy responded with consecutive birdies from the 14th but bogeyed his penultimate hole, pulling him back alongside Young on 11 under after a third-round 73, with Sam Burns just a shot off the pace in third, ahead of Shane Lowry. Lowry's third-round 68 included a hole-in-one, making him the first player to achieve multiple aces at The Masters, and he is one of eight players within four strokes of the lead. McIlroy and Young will go out together in the final group on Sunday, with McIlroy acknowledging that he needs to improve if he is to claim victory. 'I wish I had a bit more of a cushion, but I'm going to go to the range and try to figure it out,' McIlroy said. 'I'll need to be better tomorrow if I'm going to win.' Young's impressive round included eight birdies and a lone bogey, while Burns posted a blemish-free 68 to bolster his chances of a maiden major. The final round begins at 4:30 pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf, with full coverage getting under way at 5 pm.