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Masters 2026: Cameron Young called his moment and now has a chance to be third straight Players-Augusta winner
TL;DR
Cameron Young, after winning his first PGA Tour event and performing well in the Ryder Cup, aims to be prepared for the Masters at Augusta. He expressed his goal is to be ready for a strong performance on Sunday at the prestigious tournament.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — “Now what do I do?”
That’s the question Cameron Young was asking himself late last fall. He won his first PGA Tour event at the Wyndham Championship in August, notched two top-fives in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and tied for a U.S. team-high of three points earned in his first Ryder Cup.
Young had reached those heights by working diligently to get better, and he needed something to keep his mind on task over the winter. One vision, one place stood out to him: the Masters.
“My goal is to be prepared for playing late on Sunday at Augusta,” Young said last month. “It's not necessarily to win, it's not to do any certain number of things; it's to be ready and comfortable when that moment comes.”
He made that statement on the Sunday he captured the Players Championship, and in his first start since, Young will see that opportunity play out on Sunday at Augusta National.
By shooting his best score in 15 rounds here—a seven-under-par 65 that tied Scottie Scheffler for the best effort of the day—Young made up eight shots on Rory McIlroy and pulled into a tie for first at 11 under with the faltering World No. 2, who shot 73.
They will play in the final group together, with McIlroy seeking his second straight Masters and sixth major win overall, while the 28-year-old Young is trying to become the third straight player to win the Players and Masters back-to-back. McIlroy did it last year and Scheffler in 2024.
Asked on Saturday about his final round in the Players, when he birdied the famed 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass and went on to beat Matt Fitzpatrick by one shot, and if it would help him in the final round here, Young recalled what he said about his preparations. “Now I’m here with that late tee time on Sunday at Augusta, and that’s the best prep I could have asked for.”
Young, whose has risen to World No. 3 with top-10s in his last three starts, has overcome a terrible start to the tournament, all but written off after a four-over start through his first seven holes on Thursday. That might have caused some players to check out early, but he chalked it up to having a couple of tricky shots to hit and missing a couple of shorter putts.
“Physically, mentally, nothing really different, just you're going to make some bogeys at some point, and a lot of mine happened to come in those first seven holes,” he said.
Masters 2026
Cam Young hits a shot during the third round of the Masters.
J.D. Cuban
Young got them out of the way, all right. He followed his opening 73 with a 67, and since that bad early stretch, he’s made 17 birdies against just two bogeys. On Saturday, he hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and, unlike some who only feast on the par 5s, he spread out his birdies with two on par 3s, four on par 4s and two on par 5s.
Young had some close calls at majors early in his career, including a T-3 in the 2022 PGA Championship, followed a couple of months later by a solo second in the Open Championship. He also had a T-4 in last year’s U.S. Open. So the chances have been there, but he may have just not been ready to seize on it.
That could change on Sunday.
“I think it goes back to what I said earlier about just a very slow buildup of tools and confidence to deal with whatever comes next,” Young said. “I feel that I've gotten a lot better at just being present in what I'm doing.
“Out here [at Augusta], that's so much of the battle. You're going to get good breaks; you're going to get bad ones. You're going to hit a bad shot or two. The ability to just swallow it and move on and go hit your next shot, the emotions of it, the frustration, whatever it may be, I think this place really punishes you if you play angry or impatient.
“When something goes wrong, those are the things that you kind of naturally want to be. So it's fighting those natural inclinations toward those feelings and not letting it affect your decision-making, your execution for another shot.”
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Q&A
What achievements did Cameron Young have before the Masters 2026?
Cameron Young won his first PGA Tour event at the Wyndham Championship, secured two top-fives in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and earned three points in his first Ryder Cup.
What is Cameron Young's main goal for the Masters 2026?
Cameron Young's main goal for the Masters is to be prepared and comfortable for a strong performance on Sunday.
How did Cameron Young perform in the Players Championship before the Masters?
Cameron Young won the Players Championship, which he described as a significant moment leading into the Masters.
What does Cameron Young mean by 'playing late on Sunday' at Augusta?
By 'playing late on Sunday,' Cameron Young refers to being in contention during the final rounds of the Masters, aiming for a strong finish in the tournament.
