Biggest comebacks in Masters history: How Cameron Young can make history if he wins green jacket

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Rory McIlroy's brilliant first 36 holes at the Masters ensured one of two results: a second consecutive green jacket for McIlroy or quite a collapse.

On Saturday, it was much closer to a collapse than another step toward another coronation for McIlroy. The reigning champion saw a six-stroke lead disappear, becoming a one-shot deficit at one point as Cameron Young surged into the lead. They will entre the final round tied at 11-under.

If Young pulls off the win after trailing by eight strokes, he would enter Masters history in more ways than one.

Here's a look at the biggest comebacks in Masters history.

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Biggest comebacks in Masters history

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Who has the biggest 18-hole comeback in Masters history?

Nick Faldo (1990), Tiger Woods (2005) and Rory McIlroy (2025) all won the Masters after trailing by seven strokes through the first 18 holes. Faldo wound up winning by a whopping five strokes after shooting a 66 on Saturday and a 69 on Sunday, while Woods had to go to a playoff in 2005 with 18-hole leader Chris DiMarco but prevailed. McIlroy bounced back swiftly from a first-round 72 with back-to-back rounds of 66 before a whirlwind of a Sunday that saw him win his first green jacket in a playoff.

Who has the biggest 36-hole comeback in Masters history?

Jack Burke Jr. has the largest 36-hole comeback in Masters history after trailing Ken Venturi by eight strokes through two rounds in 1958. Burke went into the clubhouse at 1-under par through 36 holes, while Venturi was in full command at 9-under and four strokes clear of the rest of the field.

Who has the biggest final round comeback in Masters history?

Burke also owns the biggest final round comeback in Masters history, as he trailed the amateur Venturi by eight strokes entering the fourth round of the 1956 tournament. Burke found himself tied for fourth behind the Venturi, who led the field by four strokes through 54 holes, but he shot a 71 in the final round while Venturi regressed to an 80. That was enough for Burke to win by one stroke at 1-over par, and no one has matched his comeback since.

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How did Cameron Young erase 8-stroke deficit at Augusta?

Like any comeback, Young's required plenty of skill, some help from the player(s) in front of him and, of course, some luck as well.

Young only bogeyed once in his third round, taking advantage of two Par 3s with birdies. He also caught some breaks, as he hit a tree on No. 13 that allowed an errant shot to bounce back into the fairway. Young hit another tree at one point, and he also banked a shot off a chair back onto the green.

Meanwhile, McIlroy struggled as the rest of the field started to surge. A solid but unspectacular start kept McIlroy steady at 12-under par, but a double bogey on No. 11 followed by a bogey on No. 12 allowed Young to pull in front.

Young said after his third round that winning The Players Championship helped prepare him for these moments at Augusta.

"What I was trying to do was get ready to be playing late on Sunday at Augusta. Now I'm here with what will be a late tee time on Sunday at Augusta, and that's the best prep I could have asked for," he told reporters.

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What is the biggest comeback in golf history?

Paul Lawrie owns the biggest comeback in professional golf history for overcoming a 10-stroke deficit to win the 1999 Open Championship.

The Scottish-born Lawrie wasn't anywhere near the top of the leaderboard entering the final round. Jean van de Velde led the field by five strokes, but 12 more players sat ahead of Lawrie and behind van de Velde. A 77 from van de Velde in the final round and a 67 from Lawrie drew the two into a playoff with Justin Leonard, and Lawrie finished the comeback by birdying the final two of the four holes at Carnoustie.

Young's eight-stroke comeback wouldn't quite match Lawrie, but it would be historic at the Masters.

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