McIlroy Tied with Young After Historic Collapse at The Masters

Rory McIlroy's bid for back-to-back Masters titles hit a roadblock as he squandered a record six-shot lead, ending the day tied with Cameron Young. McIlroy, who began the weekend with the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history, saw his chances of joining an elite group of champions suffer a significant setback on Saturday. A dramatic turn of events unfolded as Young surged from eight strokes behind to claim the clubhouse lead with a stunning seven-under 65. McIlroy's woes began with a slow start, dropping three shots in two holes around Amen Corner. He 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. Sam Burns trails by one stroke in third, while Shane Lowry is among eight players within four shots of the lead. Lowry's round was highlighted by a hole-in-one, making him the first player to achieve multiple aces at The Masters. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler also charged back into contention with a 65, matching Young's score. McIlroy's collapse was marked by a two-shot swing at the first, where he made bogey as Burns started with a birdie-birdie. Reed opened with three consecutive birdies to quickly reduce McIlroy's advantage to two. Momentum shifted back in McIlroy's favor when he drove the green at the par-four third, setting up a two-putt birdie. However, he struggled to maintain his lead, scrambling pars on the fourth, sixth, and seventh before failing to birdie the par-five eighth. Young, playing five groups ahead, closed the gap by reaching the turn in 32 and starting his second nine with a birdie. The stage is set for a thrilling final round, with McIlroy and Young set to go out together in the final group on Sunday. "I would have preferred 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 cushion, but I'll need to be better tomorrow." Young's impressive round included eight birdies and a lone bogey, while Burns posted a blemish-free 68 to bolster his hopes of a maiden major. The final round begins at 4:30pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Golf, with full coverage starting at 5pm.