Masters: shared lead showdown
Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young start Sunday tied for the lead at the Masters, turning the final round into a direct head‑to‑head for the green jacket. (nytimes.com). McIlroy is in the final twosome with Justin Rose after a third round in which a six‑shot lead evaporated, setting up a back‑nine style finish at Augusta. (golfchannel.com) (golf.com).
Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young will start Sunday’s final round at Augusta National tied at 11 under, with the green jacket now a two-man chase. (espn.com) They are scheduled in the final pairing at 2:25 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 12, one stroke ahead of Sam Burns at 10 under. (cbssports.com) The tie took shape after McIlroy followed rounds of 67 and 65 with a 73 on Saturday, while Young charged from eight shots back with a 7-under 65. (cbssports.com) (espn.com) McIlroy had taken a six-shot lead after 36 holes, the largest halfway advantage in Masters history, before that cushion disappeared over the third round. (cbssports.com 1) (cbssports.com 2) The stakes are different for each player. McIlroy is the defending champion and can become the fourth player to win the Masters in consecutive years if he closes it out Sunday. (golfchannel.com) Young is chasing his first major championship after building his round with eight birdies on Saturday, according to ESPN’s round recap. (espn.com) Sunday’s setup also puts pressure on the players behind them, with Burns the nearest pursuer and the leaderboard tight enough for a late charge on Augusta’s closing holes. (cbssports.com) Television coverage is set to begin at 2 p.m. Eastern on CBS, with streaming coverage earlier in the day on ESPN+ and other digital feeds listed by broadcasters. (golfchannel.com) (espn.com) After McIlroy’s record lead vanished in one afternoon, the Masters heads to Sunday with no cushion left — just 18 holes between a repeat champion and a first-time major winner. (cbssports.com) (espn.com)
