McIlroy to Begin Final Round Without a Lead

Rory McIlroy's march toward a Masters repeat has become more complicated. The defending champion saw a six-shot lead evaporate Saturday at Augusta National, shooting a 1-over 73 that dropped him into a tie with Cameron Young heading into Sunday's final round, with nine other players lurking within five shots. The 36-hole cushion had set up a storyline of either dominance or disaster for McIlroy, who is chasing a sixth major and a rare back-to-back green jacket. Instead, Yahoo Sports reports, he's been reminded that nothing comes easy at Augusta. McIlroy, who has spent more than a decade battling Sunday struggles in majors, insists he'll try to play looser, saying he needs to remember "I've already got a green jacket."

Still, the stakes are clear: A win puts him alongside Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, and Phil Mickelson at six majors and put him with Tiger Woods, Faldo, and Jack Nicklaus as consecutive Masters champions. A loss after the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history would reignite questions about his ability to close. Other golfers had something to do with the field tightening, the AP points out: Saturday's average score of 70.63 was the lowest in Masters history in a third round. "There was a lot of guys that shot good scores," McIlroy said.