Rory McIlroy began this Masters in the company of Cameron Young and will finish it in the company of Cameron Young. McIlroy arrived at this tournament as the holder of the Green Jacket. By Sunday night he will \u2026? Goodness only knows. Day three proved predictions are a fool\u2019s errand at the Masters.<\/p>\n
Such drama played out at Augusta National on Saturday that by close of play it was extraordinary to see McIlroy\u2019s name still atop the leaderboard, albeit now with Young for company. Both are 11 under par. From holding a six-shot lead at the start of the round \u2013 and eight over Young \u2013 McIlroy inexplicably wobbled. His 73 was one involving intense struggle. \u201cI knew today wouldn\u2019t be easy,\u201d said McIlroy. \u201cI didn\u2019t quite have it today. I\u2019ll need to be better tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Events of 2025 matter in this context. Were McIlroy not already a Masters champion, there would be reason to worry about the impact of his 36-hole lead evaporating. Instead, while McIlroy is desperate to retain his title he is at least playing with house money. Unlike Young \u2013 and Sam Burns, who is one adrift \u2013 McIlroy has emerged successfully from this movie before.<\/p>\n
Young\u2019s standing here is incredible. He was four over par after the front nine of his first round. He has played his subsequent stretch in 15 under. He displays an unflappable attitude that will prove useful on Masters Sunday. Helpful, too, will be Young\u2019s Players Championship success only last month.<\/p>\n
Rory McIlroy looks frustrated and perhaps relieved after his par on the 18th hole. Photograph: Kylie Cooper\/Reuters<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the position I\u2019m in,\u201d said Young after his 65. \u201cIf you had said on Thursday at about noon that I was even 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOut here that\u2019s so much of the battle. You\u2019re going to get good breaks, you\u2019re going to get bad ones. You\u2019re going to hit a bad shot or two. The ability to just swallow it and move on and go hit your next shot, the emotions of it, the frustration, whatever it may be, I think this place really punishes you if you play angry or impatient.\u201d<\/p>\n
McIlroy\u2019s woes started on the opening hole. An overhit approach shot left a putt into the grain from the fringe. He was too delicate, with a bogey the consequence. Up ahead, Patrick Reed was reaching nine under to McIlroy\u2019s minus 11 courtesy of three birdies in a row. McIlroy steadied himself by collecting a shot on the 3rd but an elite pack was hovering. McIlroy played the remainder of the front nine in even par, thanks to some acts of escapology that Paul Daniels would applaud.<\/p>\n
At the 10th, McIlroy hit a terrific approach to set up a birdie. Things took a conspicuous twist on the next hole, where McIlroy clipped a tree with his drive and found water with his second. A double bogey cut his lead over Young to only one. McIlroy\u2019s issue looked a technical one rather than between his ears; a pulled short iron to the 12th meant a cry of \u201cOh no!\u201d and a bogey, which left the reigning champion behind. Young had reached the leaderboard\u2019s summit with a birdie on the 16th.<\/p>\n
McIlroy needed a spark. It failed to arrive at the 13th, where he drove into pine straw and had to scramble a par. Instead, McIlroy matched Young\u2019s score with a converted putt from 19ft on the 14th. The birdie felt significant; with two towering strikes, he was on the dancefloor at the par-five 15th. With a four, he was the man to beat again. This was exhausting, exhilarating stuff.<\/p>\n
Shane Lowry accepts the crowd\u2019s acclaim after his hole-in-one on the 6th \u2013 he is on nine under par, two shots off the lead. Photograph: Ashley Landis\/AP<\/p>\n
McIlroy\u2019s 16th was noneventful. His drive flew right on the penultimate hole. \u201cGive me back my son!\u201d roared a member of the crowd, who presumably will be propping up a bridge over the I-20 to Atlanta by tomorrow morning. McIlroy\u2019s second cleared the green, from where he could not rescue par. He cut a rueful figure on the final green as more than five hours of toil concluded. Burns, alongside McIlroy, signed for an impressive 68. McIlroy was the only player among the top 19 names on the board to score over par. No wonder he headed for the practice ground.<\/p>\n
General chaos was playing out elsewhere. Rafa Nadal, again part of the galleries, looked enthralled. Li Haotong, very much a part of this conversation at seven under, topped his ball into the water on the 15th. \u201cI had some negative thoughts on my backswing,\u201d said Li. Shane Lowry became just the seventh man in history to ace the 6th. The hole-in-one inspired Lowry, who is only two from the lead. \u201cI thought if Rory could shoot a 68 today he might run away with the tournament,\u201d Lowry said. But he did not and he did not.<\/p>\n
Lowry added: \u201cWe all know it\u2019s all about tomorrow. Obviously it matters today, but when we get to tomorrow, that\u2019s when we\u2019ll see what everyone is made of.\u201d<\/p>\n