AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 11 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy discovered again on Saturday that nothing at the Masters is secure as the defending champion's overnight six-shot advantage vanished in the Georgia heat and Cameron Young charged into a share of the lead at 11-under after the third round.
McIlroy got off to a sluggish start before enduring a bruising passage through Augusta National's fabled Amen Corner. His approach at the par-four 11th missed left, bounced into the water and led to a double bogey.
He then dropped another shot at the par-three 12th after a cautious effort from behind the green and could make only par at the par-five 13th, squandering a key scoring chance.
Young, meanwhile, applied the pressure throughout and briefly seized the outright lead when he rolled in a 27-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th.
McIlroy, who has struggled off the tee all week, responded by finding the fairway at 14 and 15 and birdieing both holes to move back in front on his own.
But the Northern Irishman failed to find the fairway again at 17 and paid the price, making bogey after his par putt stopped agonisingly short.
"I didn't quite have it today," McIlroy told reporters after his round of one-over 73. "The course was obviously gettable. There was a lot of guys that shot good scores.
"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."
YOUNG GUNS
McIlroy is trying to become the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles and the first since Tiger Woods in 2002.
He has been playing with greater freedom this year after finally winning the Masters 12 months ago to complete the career Grand Slam.
But Augusta has been the scene of past heartbreak for the 36-year-old, including a final round collapse in 2011.
Young, who began the day eight shots behind McIlroy, matched the lowest round of the week with a sparkling 65 to put himself firmly in position heading into Sunday's final round.
The long-driving 28-year-old American arrived at Augusta in fine form, having won the Players Championship last month and has two top-10 finishes at the Masters in the last three years.
He said patience was key at Augusta National, which is expected to continue to firm up with the hottest day of the week forecast for Sunday.
"That's so much of the battle," Young told reporters after his third-round 65.
"You're going to get good breaks, you're going to get bad ones. You're going to hit a bad shot or two ... and this place really punishes you if you play angry or impatient."
Sam Burns was alone in third on 10-under after a bogey-free 68, while Shane Lowry sat a further shot back in fourth with Jason Day and Justin Rose tied for fifth.
World number one Scottie Scheffler also roared into contention with an eagle at the second and five birdies in a bogey-free 65.
After starting the day 12 shots behind McIlroy, Scheffler moved within four of the lead and said he still believed he had a chance to claim a third Green Jacket.
"I did what I needed to do. Went out and executed to give myself some opportunities," he said.
"More of that tomorrow, and I think I'll be in a good spot."
The loudest roar of the day came at the par-three sixth, where Lowry made a hole-in-one https://www.reuters.com/sports/golf/luck-irish-lowry-aces-par-three-sixth-hole-masters-2026-04-11/.
Using a seven-iron at the 190-yard hole known as Juniper, the Irishman landed his tee shot on the green before it took a couple of bounces and spun into the left side of the cup, drawing a thunderous reaction from the gallery.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Augusta, Georgia; Editing by Ken Ferris, Pritha Sarkar and Peter Rutherford)
