AUGUSTA, Ga. — The slump returned Saturday behind the 12th green: slumped shoulders, frustrated sighs, hands through the hair and those listless glances skyward as Rory McIlroy suddenly looked haunted by the very things he’d seemed to have put to rest.
His six-shot advantage built over the first two rounds — the largest at this stage in the tournament — evaporated in the Georgia heat. What had threatened to be a runaway at Augusta National turned into an open, tense Sunday.
“I didn’t quite have it today,” McIlroy admitted. For two rounds he had resembled a composed, confident player, moving through the course with the swagger of someone who had conquered past demons after his 2025 playoff victory. His refrain was simple: just keep swinging. Saturday, that swing betrayed him.
Trouble began on 11, where an overdrawn approach found the water and led to a double. An uncommitted, abbreviated swing left him off the 12th green, and at 13 he again pushed right into trees and had to scramble for a par. He did birdie 14, went for 15 in two to set up another birdie and briefly reclaimed the lead, but parred 16 and ran into the trees on 17, leaving a par putt short. On a day when the scoring average was 70.63 — the second-lowest of any Masters round — McIlroy was the only player inside the top 12 to shoot over par.
The pattern of dramatic highs and sudden lows that has followed McIlroy at Augusta resurfaced, reminding the field that a big early cushion is never secure on this course. Asked whether he’d rather win in style or by a runaway, he cracked a grin and suggested he’d prefer the latter, though that comfort has proved elusive.
At 11 under, McIlroy is now tied with Cameron Young. Six players are within striking distance at 7 under or better, including Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry — all familiar with how quickly things can shift when McIlroy falters.
“I was aware that he wasn’t kind of stretching it out,” Rose said, noting the tournament felt very much alive. Lowry added that it would have been a tough day for anyone trying to push from the top. After a 65 on Saturday, Scheffler said he does not feel out of contention.
McIlroy tried to frame the collapse as an opportunity: a chance to reset and play Sunday with freedom, as if he already had a green jacket. “Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that,” he said, acknowledging he needs to play better to have a chance. After speaking to reporters, he went to the practice range under the lights, searching for fixes.
Sunday will decide whether McIlroy can convert the promise of two strong rounds into a victory or whether his 36-hole lead becomes one of the most memorable evaporations in Masters history. As Shane Lowry put it, today matters, but tomorrow will reveal what everyone is made of.
