Storm-level chaos erupted during the third round "Moving Day" at the Masters.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy had surged ahead at the 90th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, sharing the lead after Round 1 before pulling away to a six-stroke solo lead after Round 2—setting a record for the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history. Talk emerged that he had all but slipped on the green jacket, but Round 3 brought dramatic change.
After Saturday's third round, McIlroy found himself tied with Cameron Young of the United States for the lead, with eight players packed within four strokes of the top—creating an unpredictable fog over who will claim victory.
McIlroy, who fired a blistering 7-under par in Round 2, lost one stroke in Round 3 with four birdies, three bogeys, and a double bogey. Meanwhile, Young—winner of last month's Players Championship, often called "the fifth major"—climbed six spots by shooting 7-under par (eight birdies, one bogey), mirroring McIlroy's previous day performance. The two, who were paired together in Rounds 1 and 2, will meet again in the final round as co-leaders at 11-under par.
McIlroy ran into trouble at the treacherous "Amen Corner" (holes 11-13). On the par-4 11th, his second shot curled left into the water for a double bogey. On the par-3 12th, his tee shot again found the rough left of the green, leading to bogey.
"This golf course becomes extremely difficult when your game isn't perfect," McIlroy said after the round. "But I'm still in the lead heading into the final day. Playing with Cameron again will be comfortable for both of us." He then headed straight to the driving range to work on eliminating his left misses.
Young, whose shot-making was sharp enough to miss only two greens in 18 holes, said he would "play with the same routine and mindset as the final round of the Players Championship."
The Masters website declared it had become a "wide-open Masters." Sam Burns (USA) at 10-under in third place and Shane Lowry (Ireland) at 9-under in fourth are both in contention, as is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA), tied for seventh at 7-under.
The Masters announced before Round 3 that this year's total purse has reached a record $22.5 million (approximately 33.4 billion won), an increase of $1.5 million from last year. The amount rivals the entire season purse of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour (35 billion won). The winner's share also increased by $300,000 to $4.5 million (approximately 6.6 billion won).
