AUGUSTA — Masters Sunday is now ripe for a compelling conclusion.
It appeared Rory McIlroy had transformed this tournament into a coronation after 36 holes. He held the largest lead through two rounds in Masters history. But his middling play, paired with Cameron Young’s surge, has invited a dramatic final round.
McIlroy shot a 73 and stands 11-under 205. He failed to slam the door, and it swung open for Young, who strolled right through by shooting 65, at one point taking the lead but settling to tie McIlroy entering the decisive round.
Augusta National initially announced McIlroy would speak in the interview room after his round. Heard not too long afterward: “Rory McIlroy will not be coming to the interview room.” He’d seen his historic lead dwindle into a tie.
Patrons who spent thousands hoping for a second consecutive memorable Masters finish might get their wish. McIlroy outlasted Justin Rose in a playoff to win his long-sought green jacket a year ago. Comparable theatrics could await.
McIlroy might become the fourth to win back-to-back Masters, but it won’t be the fait accompli as some began to assume. The rising Young, a 28-year-old seeking to join golf’s elite club, poses the greatest threat. But he isn’t alone.
Lurking behind McIlroy and Young are Sam Burns (-10), Shane Lowry (-9), Jason Day (-8), Justin Rose (-8), Scottie Scheffler (-7) — who shot 65 to reenter the mix after a disappointing round 2 — and Haotong Li (-7). It should make for a fascinating final round.
If it indeed comes down to McIlroy and Young, the latter knows the crowd will have a favorite. And that’s OK.
“I feel like the support, the fans who’ve cheered for me, have gotten louder over the last year,” Young said. “It will still be lopsided — Rory is kind of a favorite in the golf world. But a year ago, if I’d been in the same situation, there’d have been very little (support), and now there’s probably a little more. So I’ll take what I can get and be happy with that.”
Many saw this as a wide-open tournament. After a two-day tease to the contrary, it lived up to that billing. There will be multiple contenders for the green jacket when play begins today.
Masters Round 3 surprises, disappointments
World No. 3, Cameron Young
a Wake Forest product, shot a 7-under 65 Masters third round, lowering his score for the third straight day to hold a share of the lead entering today.
Over the last eight months, Young has won the Wyndham Championship, tied for fourth at the Tour Championship, emerged as a force on the U.S. Ryder Cup team and won The Players Championship.
Young stands at 11-under 205 and is one good round away from joining Arnold Palmer as the only Demon Deacon with a green jacket. He opens the final round tied with defending champion Rory McIlroy.
“I think it’s been a slow climb,” Young said. “The hardest thing to do, I think, is develop some confidence when things aren’t going great. Then the results started to turn around and things have kind of snowballed a little bit from there.”
The biggest disappointment on Saturday belonged to McIlroy, who shot 73 and watched his six-shot lead vanish like Masters gnomes in the merchandise center. McIlroy was caught at 11 under when Young, playing five groups ahead, birdied the 16th and then fell a shot behind when he bogeyed the 12th.
McIlroy continued to drive the ball into places that are rarely targeted as optimum, hitting only eight fairways and just 10 of 18 greens in regulation. And he needed 30 putts — six more than he required in the third round.
Masters surprises
Can a 65 by a two-time Masters champion be considered a surprise? That’s what Scottie Scheffler did after playing the first two rounds like a new dad with sleep deprivation. Scheffer eagled the second hole, the second time he’s done it this week, and added five birdies for his bogey-free round.
Scheffler has left meat on the bone. He is 6-under on the two par-5s on the front side, but 2-over on the two on the second nine. He will start the final round four shots in arrears.
Shane Lowry made a hole-in-one at the par-3 sixth hole — the second of his career at Augusta National — and joined the party after shooting 68. The popular Irishman is alone in fourth place at 9-under 207.
Jason Day shot 68 and pulled within three shots of the lead at 8 under. It is the sixth time Day will enter the final round in the top 10. Last year, Day was tied for sixth in this spot but shot even par the last round and tied for eighth. The 2015 PGA champion was runner-up at the Masters in 2011, his first appearance.
Patrick Cantlay shot himself off the leaderboard with a first-round 77, but followed it with rounds of 67 and 66. Cantlay said he played well from tee to green the last two days and stayed patient, “not trying to get it all back at once.” He sneaked into the tie for ninth.
Augusta National disappointments
China’s Haotong Li looked like a weekend hacker when his approach shot at No. 15 didn’t come close to clearing the water. Li smacked himself in the head as he tried to motion an explanation to his caddie of what happened. He was within two shots of the lead before the miscue and the bogey stopped his momentum. Li also made bogey at 18 to shoot 69 for a three-round total of 7-under 209, leaving him tied for seventh.
“Just some negative thoughts between my backswing,” Li said. “Somehow something clicked. Very disappointed.”
Patrick Reed vaulted up the leaderboard by starting with three straight birdies. But Captain America made two straight bogeys and spun his wheels the rest of the day. The 2018 Masters champ shot 72 and dropped all the way into a tie for ninth.
Tommy Fleetwood bogeyed three of the four par-3s to shoot an uneven 73. The reigning Fed Cup champion fell into a tie for 15th at 212.
Charl Schwartzel was the oldest past champion to make the cut. The 2011 winner shot 77 and fell into last place at 9 over.
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