2026 Masters: McIlroy Falters in Tight Contention

The 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club unfolded over four days of intense competition, marked by dramatic shifts on the leaderboard and notable struggles among players from the LIV Golf league. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who entered as a favorite after his 2025 victory, seized a six-shot lead at the halfway point with a second-round 65 but faltered in the third round with a 73, dropping back into a tight contention on Sunday.

McIlroy began the final round tied with Cameron Young, the American who staged a remarkable comeback after opening nine holes at four over par, then playing the rest of the tournament in 15 under to reach the summit. The leaderboard remained congested, with Shane Lowry two shots back entering Sunday and others like Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose mounting late charges. Hatton, in his 10th Masters appearance, birdied four consecutive holes on the back nine to surge into contention. Rose, the 45-year-old Englishman seeking to become the oldest winner since Jack Nicklaus in 1986, posted a poised outward nine highlighted by a birdie on the seventh, where he approached from the pine straw to tap-in range. McIlroy's round included a...