AUGUSTA, Ga. — Cameron Young's luck ran out at the ninth hole of the Augusta National Golf Club in the final round of the Masters Tournament on Sunday after benefiting from several breaks during the weekend rounds.
A tee shot into the trees that, for once, didn't kick back into the fairway and a punch shot that landed in the middle of a large divot were the beginning of the end for Young's major championship hopes. He finished with a 73 and a 10-under 278, tied for third and two shots behind winner Rory McIlroy.
"I feel like I played the golf I needed to," he said. "There is no negative to take away, other than I obviously would have loved a different result. In terms of the golf, I played plenty well enough to win today and plenty well enough to win by a couple, I think. So just one of those days."
Young was trying to become the third consecutive Players Championship winner to win the Masters a month later, and he was also hoping that, after six top-10 finishes in major championships, he could capture his first at the age of 28.
Playing with McIlroy in the final twosome at Augusta was about as intense a pressure cooker in which Young could have found himself. He acquitted himself well, hitting 10 fairways and 13 greens, and holding a two-shot lead over McIlroy through five holes, the combination of a birdie at No. 2 and McIlroy making a double bogey at No. 4.
Patrons look at the Masters scoreboard at the end of the round during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.The sea of green chairs around the 18th green ahead of the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Jake Knapp takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.The 10th green during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Tommy Fleetwood lines up his shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Ian Finnis, Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie, waits in the walkway after the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Patrick Reed takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Collin Morikawa plays a shot from a bunker on the first hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Brooks Koepka high-fives Mary Bracken Green, 10, of Augusta, as he walks to the fifth tee box during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Wyndham Clark plays a shot from the pine straw on the third hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li walk up the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.1 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalPatrons look at the Masters scoreboard at the end of the round during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.1 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalPatrons look at the Masters scoreboard at the end of the round during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.2 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalThe sea of green chairs around the 18th green ahead of the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.3 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalJake Knapp takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.4 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalThe 10th green during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.5 / 11Who are the patrons picking? We asked them for a 2026 Masters winnerTommy Fleetwood lines up his shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.6 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalIan Finnis, Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie, waits in the walkway after the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.7 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalPatrick Reed takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.8 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalCollin Morikawa plays a shot from a bunker on the first hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.9 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalBrooks Koepka high-fives Mary Bracken Green, 10, of Augusta, as he walks to the fifth tee box during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.10 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalWyndham Clark plays a shot from the pine straw on the third hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.11 / 11Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta NationalScottie Scheffler and Haotong Li walk up the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.Young bogeyed Nos. 6 and 7 but birdied the eighth and walked to the ninth tee one shot behind Justin Rose but tied with McIlroy at 11-under.
Then came the hole that the breaks started going against Young.
During a third-round 65 the day before, Young had tee shots that clipped trees at Nos. 13 and 17. He birdied the 13th and parred the 17th.
In between, his second shot at No. 9 sailed into the patrons, hit a chair, then kicked back onto the green. He two-putted for par.
Then in the final round, Young's tee shot at No. 3 hit a tree and kicked out. He made another par. He wasn't the least bit apologetic after the third round.
"You'll take anything you can get," he said. "We all get enough bad breaks."
Unfortunately for Young, that statement proved prophetic. His tee shot at No. 9 went into the trees and stayed there. Barely able to hit the ball without being doubled over, he punched out safely, but the ball landed in the middle of a divot.
Young did what he could. He gouged the ball out, but it landed 38 feet from the front-left hole placement. Due to the undulation and speed of the green, he nearly had to turn his back to the hole and aim far to the right and hope the ball fed down to the hole.
It did, but not nearly as much as he wanted. It came up 3 feet short and he tapped in for his third bogey in four holes.
Young bounced back from that adversity and, from tee-to-green, played the second nine well. He hit seven fairways in a row until missing the 18th to the left, and had birdie attempts on every second-nine hole until the last.
He missed them all, with his best chances coming at No. 12 (14 feet), No. 13 (12 feet), No. 14 (10 feet) and No. 15 (8 feet).
McIlroy went back ahead with birdie putts at Nos. 12 and 13 and Young could never get closer than two shots.
"I think I handled [playing in the last twosome at the Masters] fine ... just didn't make anything," he said. "That's the story of the week, honestly, if you look through all four rounds. I pretty much had a birdie chance on every hole and didn't make any. That's how it goes sometimes. I hit the necessary shots and just couldn't quite get it in the hole."
Young played with McIlroy in three of their four rounds at Augusta and he said he certainly had things to learn from watching a six-time major champion at work.
But he also believed he didn't show any signs of nervousness that translated into loose or foolhardy shots.