TV microphones pick up Rory McIlroy's immediate reaction after blowing six-shot lead at The Masters

Callum Vurley
Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:35:57 +0000

Rory McIlroy watched his commanding six-stroke advantage disappear during a torrid third round at Augusta National on Saturday.

The Northern Irishman had entered the day as defending champion with a seemingly comfortable cushion, but wayward driving undermined his stated ambition to maintain pressure on the chasing pack.

Amen Corner proved particularly punishing for the 36-year-old. His tee shot at the 11th found the water, and despite positioning himself for a potential bogey save, his putt failed to drop, resulting in a costly double bogey.

His advantage had shrunk to a single stroke at that stage, before evaporating entirely following another dropped shot at the 12th.

Television microphones captured the extent of McIlroy's exasperation as his round continued to unravel.

Following an errant drive at the 13th, the four-time major winner was heard uttering "oh I give up" in a moment of visible frustration.

The comment, broadcast to viewers worldwide, encapsulated the dramatic shift in momentum that had seen the Ulsterman's seemingly unassailable position crumble within the space of just a few holes.

His struggles with accuracy off the tee had prevented him from building on his overnight advantage, allowing rivals to sense an opportunity at Augusta National.

Cameron Young capitalised on McIlroy's collapse, surging to 11 under par through 14 holes to claim the outright lead. The American's remarkable turnaround came after he had been four over through his opening seven holes on Thursday.

Two strokes adrift sat Haotong Li alongside Shane Lowry, the latter igniting his round with a spectacular ace at the sixth.

The Irishman holed his 190-yard tee shot to become the first player in Masters history to record multiple holes-in-one at the tournament, having previously aced the 16th during the 2016 final round.

Lowry, a close friend of McIlroy, has now collected four career aces at prestigious venues.

"Oh my goodness" 👀

Rory McIlroy finds the drink! pic.twitter.com/b8nVuL9hxR
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 11, 2026

Scottie Scheffler remains a menacing presence five shots off the pace after posting a career-best 65 at Augusta.

The world number one tore through the opening nine in 31 strokes, eagling the second and stringing together three consecutive birdies.

His charge threatened to match the course record before momentum stalled on the inward half, where he failed to birdie either par five. An eight-foot miss at the 17th ended any record aspirations.

"I gave myself a lot of opportunities and I felt like I took advantage of those on the front nine," Scheffler reflected, noting his second-round 74 may yet prove costly.