By DEREK HARPER Field Level Media
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy’s stroll toward one of the rarest feats in sports turned into a dramatic battle to avoid the wrong side of history as he saw his six-shot lead evaporate during the third round of the Masters on Saturday.

McIlroy scuffled to a 1-over-par round of 73 to fall into a share of the 54-hole lead at 11 under with Cameron Young, who tied the low round of the tournament with a 7-under 65. Young began the day eight shots behind McIlroy, who had set a tournament record with a six-shot lead through 36 holes as he attempts to become only the fourth player in history to win consecutive Masters.

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Fourteen players will now begin today’s final round within six shots of the co-leaders, a group that includes two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. He matched Young’s 65 to pull within four shots of the top.

McIlroy’s cushion steadily evaporated during a round in which the Northern Irishman was one of only two players in the current top 20 to fail to break par. And his struggles came on a day when Augusta National gave up a scoring average of 70.63.

“Didn’t quite have it today,” McIlroy said. “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.”

Playing five groups in front of McIlroy, Young reeled in the leader and briefly passed him on the back nine. He carded eight birdies against a lone bogey to equal the 65 McIlroy posted on Friday and the one Scheffler recorded early in the third round.

McIlroy and Young, today’s final pairing, will begin the day with a one-shot lead over Sam Burns. Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who recorded the tournament’s first hole-in-one since 2022 on the sixth hole Saturday, sits alone in fourth place at 9 under.

“That’s wild, isn’t it?” said Lowry, who also carded an ace at the Houston Open last month. “You don’t ever expect to make a hole-in-one. I just couldn’t believe it. Obviously, you know, you’re out there, and you’re in the hunt at the Masters and you’re making hole-in-one, it’s pretty cool.

“The walk down the sixth hole with everyone around 16 and the sixth was very special. I’ll remember that for a while. Yeah, it was obviously amazing.”

Australia’s Jason Day and England’s Justin Rose are another shot back.

Young’s 7-under-par effort was his best in 15 career Masters rounds by two shots. After steadily picking away at McIlroy’s lead most of the day, Young took his first outright lead of the tournament with a birdie on 16 while McIlroy found the water and double bogeyed the 11th.

Young parred out from there to reach the clubhouse at 11 under and watched as McIlroy battled his way to the finish line. McIlroy, who reached 13 under for the first time in the tournament with a birdie on the 10th, found himself back at 10 under after a bogey on the par-3 12th.

McIlroy reeled off consecutive birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to regain a one-shot lead.

Another wayward drive led to a bogey on the 17th, then just missed a 25-foot birdie putt at 18. He hit eight of 14 fairways in the third round, which improved his average to 50% through three rounds. His 10 greens hit on Saturday were his fewest this week.

“I felt like I bounced back pretty well with the birdies on 14 and 15,” McIlroy said.

“It would have been nice to play those last few holes and not make that bogey on 17, but you know, I still have a great chance. I’m in the final group.

“I just need to go to the range and try to figure it out a little bit.”