Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Rory’s Masters drama, Heat, UFC, Messi, Marlins and more

Augusta, Georgia — Rory McIlroy’s commanding Saturday at the Masters dissolved into a nerve-jangling sprint as a once-bulging six-shot advantage vanished before the Georgia pines, leaving the Northern Irishman tied for the lead and setting up a winner-take-all Sunday shoot-out.

McIlroy, strolling the fairways with the swagger of a man in complete control early in the third round, saw his cushion evaporate shot by shot as the back nine tightened its grip. By the time the final putt dropped, the lead that had looked unassailable was gone, the leaderboard reflecting a deadlock at the top and a tournament suddenly wide open.

The stunning turnaround guarantees high drama on golf’s grandest stage, with McIlroy now forced to regroup overnight and reassert his authority if he is to complete the career Grand Slam that has eluded him.

Elsewhere in Cote’s weekly countdown, the Miami Heat, UFC, Lionel Messi’s latest exploits, and the upstart Miami Marlins all claim spots among the hottest talking points across the sporting landscape.