McIlroy Tied with Young After Squandering Historic Lead at The Masters

Rory McIlroy's bid to defend his title at The Masters suffered a significant setback after he blew a historic six-shot lead, leaving him tied with Cameron Young heading into the final day. McIlroy, who had taken the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history into the weekend, saw his chances of joining an elite group of back-to-back champions take a hit on a dramatic Saturday at Augusta National. Young charged from eight shots behind to take the clubhouse lead with a stunning seven-under 65, as McIlroy struggled to maintain his momentum. Despite responding with back-to-back birdies, McIlroy bogeyed his penultimate hole to fall back alongside Young on 11 under after a third-round 73. Sam Burns is just a shot off the pace in third, while Shane Lowry, who fired a hole-in-one during his third-round 68, is one of eight players within four strokes of the lead. McIlroy, who immediately lost ground with a two-shot swing at the first, will need to regroup and find his form if he is to claim victory on Sunday. With several players still in contention, including world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and last year's runner-up Justin Rose, the stage is set for a thrilling final round at The Masters.