AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — It wasn’t the course that caught up to Rory McIlroy in the third round of the Masters as much as it was the rest of the field.
And perhaps his wayward driver.
McIlroy finally left an opening and several other players charged back into contention in the third round, setting up a potentially pulsating Sunday finish at Augusta National, where McIlroy and Cameron Young share the lead but six other players are now within four shots.
“The course was obviously gettable,” McIlroy said after his third-round 73 cost him what was a six-stroke lead through 36 holes. “There was a lot of good scores out there, and obviously the quality of the chasing pack is obvious. There was a lot of guys that shot good scores.”
Saturday’s average score of 70.63 was the lowest in Masters history in a third round. But McIlroy ranks dead last in driving accuracy among the post-cut field, and that made it hard for him to continue the run of birdies that built his big lead Friday. He also hit the ball into the water on No. 11 and made a damaging double bogey.
Now McIlroy, trying to become the fourth player to win twice in a row at this tournament, will play in the final group with Young, who is seeking his first major championship.
“I’ll probably give myself some time to think about it right now for the next 30 minutes or so. After that, it’s kind of a battle of managing how you want to react to those things,” Young said. “To me, it’s just a matter of going right back to how am I going to run my day tomorrow, what time am I going to get here, so I can eat, so I can go see the physio? It’s just going to be back to my routine, and that’s what I’m going to lean on.”
McIlroy is No. 2 in the world rankings, one spot ahead of Young. The last time two of the top three players in the rankings were in the final group at the Masters was 2001, when Tiger Woods was No. 1 and Phil Mickelson was No. 2. Woods ended up winning by two strokes over David Duval.
Scottie Scheffler, the current No. 1, shot 65 on Saturday to move within striking distance, but he’s four shots behind Young, who also shot 65, and McIlroy. The two leaders are at 11 under par. Sam Burns is at 10 under, followed by Shane Lowry another stroke back.
Jason Day and Justin Rose are at 8 under.
Rose shot 66 in the final round last year to force a playoff, but ultimately lost to McIlroy.
“The whole field is not going to help you out, put it that way,” Rose said. “It’s going to take a special round tomorrow, so there’s a chance, which is great. I’m going to try to channel a bit of last year and see what happens.”
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