McIlroy Tied with Young after Squandering Historic Lead at The Masters

A dramatic turn of events has unfolded at The Masters, with Rory McIlroy relinquishing a historic six-shot lead to find himself tied with Cameron Young heading into the final day. McIlroy, who began the weekend with the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history, saw his chances of becoming a back-to-back champion suffer a significant setback on Saturday. The world No 2 struggled to maintain his momentum, dropping three shots in two holes around the iconic Amen Corner, while Young surged from eight strokes behind to claim the clubhouse lead with an impressive seven-under 65. McIlroy responded with consecutive birdies from the 14th hole but bogeyed his penultimate hole, leaving him level with Young on 11 under after a third-round 73. Sam Burns is just one shot off the pace in third place, ahead of Shane Lowry, who achieved a hole-in-one during his third-round 68. Lowry is among eight players within four strokes of the lead, with last year's runner-up Justin Rose sharing fifth place with Jason Day, as world No 1 Scottie Scheffler charged back into contention with a 65. The final round is set to be closely contested, with McIlroy and Young paired together in the last group on Sunday. 'I would have liked to be in a better position going into tomorrow, but I still have a great chance,' McIlroy said. 'I'm in the final group, which is where you want to be. I wish I had a bit more of a cushion, but I'll need to be better tomorrow.' Young's stunning 65, which included eight birdies and a lone bogey, has put him in a strong position to challenge for the title. The final round will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf, starting at 4:30 pm on Sunday.