RORY REELED IN BUT STILL SHARES LEAD AT AUGUSTA
Defending champion Rory McIlroy had a tough day to lose his six stroke advantage but still shares the lead heading into the final round of the Masters. (Photo: Getty/DP World Tour)
Emotions are spent, nerves are frayed as yet another Masters rollercoaster ride ensued on the third day at Augusta, yet somehow the defending champion Rory McIlroy still has a chance of winning despite relinquishing a six stroke lead.
Saturday at Augusta was certainly moving day and McIlroy moved in the wrong direction as he was reeled in by the chasing pack that also includes his best friend Shane Lowry. The world number two carded a battling one-over 73 to share the lead with American Cameron Young on 11-under heading into today’s final round at Augusta National.
The defending champion went into Saturday with a record six-shot lead but any thoughts of a cruise to a second Green Jacket were soon dismissed on a topsy-turvy afternoon. While those chasing took advantage of perfect conditions on a low-scoring day, McIlroy struggled off the tee and found himself trailing as he exited Amen Corner.
A pair of birdies had him back in front, but another wayward drive led to a fifth dropped shot of the day on the 17th and will head into today’s final round locked with Young, who carded a brilliant 65.
Sam Burns is at 10-under after a 68, one clear of Lowry who carded the same score with a hole-in-one at the par three sixth. Jason Day and Justin Rose are eight under, with world number one Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li a shot further back.
McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam with his win at Augusta 12 months ago before going on to win his home open at The K Club, the Race to Dubai and the Ryder Cup with Europe in what was a standout year.
He has not quite hit those heights consistently so far in 2026, but he was at his brilliant best on Thursday and Friday and knows what is required in round four.
"The course was obviously gettable," he said. "There was a lot of good scores out there and obviously the quality of the chasing pack is obvious. There was a lot of guys that shot good scores.
"There's a lot of guys in with a chance tomorrow. I'm still tied for the best score going into tomorrow, so I can't forget that, but I do know I'm going to have to be better if I want to have a chance to win.
"There's a long way to go. This golf course has a way of... when you're not quite feeling it, you struggle. You have to dig deep, and I felt like I did that on the front nine and made a lot of good par saves."
Young was four over after seven holes on Thursday but has registered just two bogeys since and is riding the crest of a wave as THE PLAYERS champion and standout US star of last year's Ryder Cup.
"It's something I've dreamed of doing for a long time," he said of potentially winning a Green Jacket. "I like the position I'm in. If you had said on Thursday at about noon that I was going to be within a couple of the lead going into Sunday, I would have taken it in a heartbeat, especially given the fact that I was watching Rory play.
"Anytime you're around the lead in a Major, especially here, anything can happen. We saw today a slow start and a hot start can erase a lot. It's just kind of a matter of keeping myself in it tomorrow and doing the best I can to stay around the lead for as long as possible, and you see what happens at the end."
McIlroy strode to the first tee exuding the sort of confidence his position merited but after a poor tee-shot and three putts from over the back of the first, his lead was trimmed to two.
That was due to 2018 champion Reed starting birdie-birdie-birdie, but the American followed that with two bogeys and when McIlroy drove the par-four third and two-putted, the advantage was four.
Lowry was among those in a share of second thanks to a spectacular hole-in-one at the par-three sixth, only the seventh in history at that hole and Lowry’s second at the Masters after his ace at the 16th a decade ago.
McIlroy, meanwhile, was grinding, needing to get up and down to save par on the fourth, sixth and seventh while all those chasing were putting up red numbers.
Li had made the most of the gettable second and third and birdied the fifth before he put a remarkable second to tap-in range at the eighth to get nine under.
He bogeyed the 13th after finding the water, however, and it was Young who emerged as the closest challenger.
THE PLAYERS champion had five birdies in his first ten holes and after seeing his tee-shot on the 13th find the fairway off a tree after a snappy hook, he took advantage with a two-putt birdie to get into double figures and two back as McIlroy made the turn in 36 after six straight pars.
A huge drive and towering iron on the 14th meant the 28-year-old was just one back before McIlroy hit a beautiful approach on the tenth and holed a six-footer to take a two-shot lead into Amen Corner, with those in third five back.
The duo’s dominance soon looked fragile, though, with McIlroy surrendering a double bogey after finding the water at the 11th and Young dropping a shot after doing the same at the 15th.
Young bounced back with a long putt from almost 30 feet at the 16th and he was the solo leader after McIlroy flew the 12th green and failed to get up and down.
McIlroy’s playing partner Burns made eight pars in a row after a birdie-birdie start but a brilliant approach at the treacherous 11th and putt from the fringe on the 13th had him alongside his partner at ten under as Young signed for his 65.
The defending champion had to scramble to save par on the same hole before he finally found a fairway on the 14th and used that platform to make a birdie, adding another with two putts on the par-five next to wrestle back the lead.
Another poor tee-shot then ultimately led to another bogey on the 17th with McIlroy missing a good birdie chance on the low side on the last.
Lowry had birdied the second before he made his ace and added further gains at the eighth, tenth and 14th with dropped shots at the ninth and 11th.
Rose, a three-time runner-up at Augusta, was bogey-free in his 69 with birdies on the third, eighth and 13th, while Day made four birdies in a row from the 12th in a 68.
In his remaining holes, Li birdied the 14th but bogeyed the 15th and 18th to sit alongside two-time champion Scheffler who carded a 65.
Reed and fellow Americans Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley rounded out the top ten at six under.