Masters lead evaporates

Rory McIlroy’s six-shot Masters lead vanished Saturday, leaving him tied with Cameron Young at 11-under heading into the final round. (espn.com) McIlroy shot a 1-over 73 after opening the week with rounds of 67 and 65, while Young charged from eight shots back with a 7-under 65 to reach 205. (espn.com) The swing came fast at Augusta National: McIlroy had the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history at six shots, then lost all of it by the 12th hole on Saturday. (sports.yahoo.com) By Saturday night, the board had compressed behind them. Sam Burns stood alone in third at 10-under, Shane Lowry was fourth at 9-under, and Jason Day and Justin Rose were tied for fifth at 8-under. (espn.com) Scottie Scheffler moved back into the picture with a 7-under 65, matching Young for the low round of the day and climbing to 7-under after opening with 70 and 74. (espn.com) That reshaped a tournament that had looked close to over 24 hours earlier. The Masters is played over four rounds, and the third round at Augusta is known as “Moving Day” because leaders can be caught before Sunday’s final pairing. (pgatour.com) For McIlroy, the stakes are larger than one shaky Saturday. He arrived at Augusta as the defending champion and now has to protect a share of the lead rather than a cushion. (pgatour.com) For Young, Sunday is a chance to convert a back-nine Saturday surge into his first major title. His 65 included a bogey on the par-5 15th, which left room for an even lower score. (pgatour.com) Sunday now starts with two names at the top, a cluster within four shots, and no margin left for McIlroy at Augusta. (espn.com)