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Rory McIlroy’s Masters lead slips away after brutal sequence

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 6:50 PM ET

Rory McIlroy lost his lead at The Masters on the back nine Saturday, with one sequence in particular hastening his fall.

McIlroy entered Saturday at -12 with a six-stroke lead, but saw it slip away thanks to a few poorly-timed bogeys and strong play from rivals. His day was best summed up on No. 11, when he turned in a double bogey thanks to a rough series of events.

The 36-year-old’s tee shot found the water, but he set himself up well to salvage a bogey after the bad first shot. Unfortunately for him, his putt didn’t quite land, forcing him to settle for double bogey.

Rory finds the water and then his bogey putt lips out on 11

His lead is down to just one. pic.twitter.com/wOMSgcIHXu
— ESPN (@espn) April 11, 2026

McIlroy’s lead shrank to one stroke at that point, and slipped away completely when he bogeyed on No. 12.

After his win last year, McElroy had to hope some of the pressure would come off his shoulders in the future. Maybe it has, but he still saw a comfortable lead slip away on Saturday.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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