Masters: McIlroy tied with Young

Rory McIlroy’s six-shot cushion is gone, and he enters Sunday’s final round at Augusta National tied with Cameron Young at 11-under par. (pgatour.com) McIlroy shot 73 on Saturday after opening the week with rounds of 67 and 65, while Young climbed into the share of the lead with rounds of 73, 67 and 65. Sam Burns starts one shot back at 10-under, and Scottie Scheffler begins Sunday four shots off the lead at 7-under. (espn.com) The final pairing of McIlroy and Young is scheduled to tee off at 2:25 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 12, with Burns and Shane Lowry one group ahead. Seven players begin the day within five shots of the lead. (nbcsports.com, nytimes.com) McIlroy is the defending champion after winning the 2025 Masters, and a victory on Sunday would make him the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. The others are Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. (usatoday.com) Young is chasing his first major championship and his first Masters title after repeatedly contending in the biggest events without closing one out. His charge on Saturday turned what looked like a runaway into a two-man race at the top. (golfdigest.com, pgatour.com) Saturday’s swing came fast. Golf Digest reported McIlroy’s 36-hole lead was a Masters record, but he gave shots back with a double bogey at the 11th and a bogey at the 12th, while Young kept moving. (golfdigest.com, sports.yahoo.com) The leaderboard still leaves room for a wider chase. Burns is one back, Lowry is two back at 9-under, and Jason Day and Justin Rose are three back at 8-under entering the final round. (espn.com) By Sunday morning, the tournament had shifted from McIlroy protecting history to McIlroy and Young playing side by side for the green jacket over the last 18 holes. (nytimes.com, nbcsports.com)