Rory McIlroy charged again late after squandering a six-stroke edge to share the lead with Cameron Younger after a wild third spherical on the Masters on Saturday.
A chaotic afternoon at Augusta Nationwide noticed each males plunk key photographs into water on the again 9 however end degree atop the leaderboard on 11-under 205 via 54 holes, one stroke forward of American Sam Burns.
McIlroy, who began the day with a file six-shot lead, carded a one-over-par 73 whereas Younger roared into competition with a scintillating seven-under-par 65.
“I didn’t have it immediately,” McIlroy admitted. “I scrambled so much on the entrance 9.”
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Second-ranked McIlroy birdied the 14th and fifteenth holes to regain the lead however discovered the bushes off the seventeenth tee on the way in which to a bogey and his one-over spherical.
“This golf course has a method of, once you’re not fairly feeling it, you wrestle,” McIlroy mentioned. “It’s important to dig deep.
“I nonetheless have an excellent probability,” McIlroy added. “I’m within the ultimate group. That’s the place I need to be.
“I must be higher tomorrow. If I’m going to win tomorrow I’ve to be higher than I used to be immediately.”
McIlroy, a five-time main winner, hopes to match Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the one back-to-back winners of the inexperienced jacket.
Third-ranked Younger, final month’s Gamers Championship winner, acquired off to a scorching begin with birdies on 5 of the primary 10 holes.
He birdied 13 and 14, his drive on the thirteenth hitting a tree and touchdown fortuitously within the fairway, then overcame a watery bogey at 15 by curling in a 27-foot birdie putt on the par-three sixteenth.
In consequence, the 28-year-old American has a major probability for his first main title.
“There actually is not any lead that’s protected out right here, however Rory loves it right here and nobody can be shocked if he had shot 65,” Younger mentioned.
“It’s simply a type of instances that if he doesn’t, now we have to take benefit and I acquired myself right here immediately.”
Burns carded a 68 and was one stroke in entrance of Eire’s Shane Lowry.
Lowry aced the 190-yard par-three sixth gap on his method to a 68 that left him in fourth on 207, one stroke forward of Australian Jason Day and England’s Justin Rose.
Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner, grew to become the primary Masters participant with a number of holes-in-one, having aced the sixteenth within the ultimate spherical in 2016.
“That’s wild,” Lowry mentioned. “You don’t ever count on to make a hole-in-one. I simply couldn’t consider it. You’re on the market and also you’re within the hunt on the Masters and also you’re making hole-in-one. It’s fairly cool. It was clearly superb.”
Scheffler ‘in place’
American golfer Scottie Scheffler walks to the 18th inexperienced through the third spherical of the 2026 Masters Event at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Saturday in Augusta, Georgia.
| Photograph Credit score:
Getty Pictures
American golfer Scottie Scheffler walks to the 18th inexperienced through the third spherical of the 2026 Masters Event at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Saturday in Augusta, Georgia.
| Photograph Credit score:
Getty Pictures
World primary Scottie Scheffler fired a bogey-free 65 — his lowest profession Masters spherical — to face 4 off the lead on 209 alongside China’s Li Haotong, who additionally discovered water on his method to taking pictures 69.
“I put myself in place,” Scheffler mentioned. “I simply must get the job achieved.”
McIlroy made double bogey on the eleventh when his strategy sailed left right into a pond and after a bogey on the par-three twelfth, his lead had vanished in Amen Nook.
McIlroy responded with a 19-foot birdie putt on the 14th and drove the inexperienced in two on the par-five fifteenth to arrange a tap-in birdie just for a bogey at 17 to drop him again.
“I knew immediately wasn’t going to be straightforward,” McIlroy mentioned. “The standard of the chasing pack was excellent and a number of guys performed their finest golf.”
Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up hoping for a inexperienced jacket at age 45, went from seven adrift to a few again and hopes for a ultimate spherical like final 12 months when he made 10 birdies.
“It’s going to take a particular spherical tomorrow, so there’s an opportunity, which is nice,” Rose mentioned. “I’m going to attempt to channel a little bit of final 12 months and see what occurs.”
Revealed on Apr 12, 2026