Masters: Rory’s Cushion Gone

Rory McIlroy’s six-shot edge is gone, and Sunday at Augusta begins with McIlroy and Cameron Young tied at 11-under. (sports.yahoo.com) McIlroy shot 1-over 73 on Saturday after starting the day with the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history. Young charged into the tie with a 7-under 65, matching the low round of the day. (pgatour.com) The lead was gone by the time McIlroy reached the 10th hole, and the board tightened behind him. Sam Burns starts Sunday one shot back at 10-under, while Shane Lowry is fourth at 9-under. (pgatour.com) Scottie Scheffler also played his way back into the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Saturday. The two-time Masters winner begins the final round at 7-under after going out in 31 and adding another birdie at the 11th. (pgatour.com) McIlroy is the defending champion, so Sunday is now about more than protecting a lead. A win would make him the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. (golfchannel.com) Young is chasing a first major title after winning The Players Championship last month for his second PGA Tour title. The PGA Tour said he already had top-10 finishes at Augusta National in 2023 and 2024 before this week. (pgatour.com) Sunday’s final pairing is set for 2:25 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, with Young and McIlroy going out last. Burns and Lowry tee off at 2:14 p.m., and Jason Day and Justin Rose follow at 2:03 p.m. on a leaderboard packed with players still in range. (nbcsports.com) Television coverage on Sunday runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on CBS, with streaming on Paramount+, Masters.com, and the Masters app. NBC Sports reported a sunny forecast at Augusta National with a high of 88 degrees, low winds, and virtually no chance of rain. (nbcsports.com) Two days after McIlroy looked ready to run away from the field, the Masters is down to 18 holes and no margin at all. (sports.yahoo.com)