McIlroy's Big Lead Eroded
McIlroy opened with a record six‑shot 36‑hole lead after extensive practice runs — including skipping three PGA events to prepare — but that cushion evaporated over the weekend. ( )
Rory McIlroy’s record six-shot Masters lead is gone after a third-round 73 left him tied with Cameron Young at 11 under heading into Sunday. (espn.com) McIlroy started Saturday, April 11, with the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history after rounds of 67 and 65 put him at 12 under par. He finished 54 holes at 205 after a round that included trouble around Amen Corner, where his margin disappeared by the 12th. (golfchannel.com, pgatour.com) Young began the day eight shots back and shot 65 with eight birdies and one bogey to catch McIlroy. ESPN reported he became the first player to hold at least a share of the 54-hole Masters lead after starting the day eight behind. (usatoday.com, espn.com) The swing mattered because McIlroy had shaped his spring around Augusta National, not the usual week-to-week tour rhythm. He skipped the Cognizant Classic, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship, and made repeated practice trips to the course before the Masters began. (golfchannel.com, sports.yahoo.com) That plan looked precise through 36 holes, when McIlroy closed Friday with six birdies in his last seven holes. NBC News and ESPN both reported that the six-shot cushion was also tied for the third-largest 36-hole lead in major championship history. (nbcnews.com, espn.com) Saturday changed the shape of the tournament beyond the two co-leaders. ESPN reported nine players finished within six shots of McIlroy and Young, while Golf Channel had Sam Burns alone in third at 10 under and Jason Day and Justin Rose among the chasers. (espn.com, golfchannel.com) McIlroy said after the round that he had “didn’t quite have it today” and then went to the range, according to ESPN’s report from Augusta. He also said he would “have to be better” on Sunday if he wanted a chance to win a second straight green jacket. (espn.com) So the final round opens nothing like the procession Friday’s leaderboard suggested. McIlroy still controls a share of first place, but the cushion he built with weeks of Augusta-only preparation has been cut to even. (pgatour.com, espn.com)
