McIlroy, Young Share Masters Lead Heading Into Final Round
Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young are tied atop the leaderboard at 11 under par heading into Sunday’s final round of the 90th Masters Tournament. It’s a familiar position for McIlroy, who’s looking to claim back-to-back green jackets.
McIlroy saw his record six-shot lead after 36 holes evaporate during Saturday’s third round, shooting a 1-over 73 while the field took advantage of the most favorable scoring conditions in Masters history. The third round featured the lowest scoring average ever at Augusta National (70.630).
Young surged into contention with a spectacular 7-under 65, erasing an eight-stroke deficit to become the first player in Masters history to overcome such a large gap and earn a share of the 54-hole lead.
Final Pairing (2:25 p.m. EDT): Rory McIlroy (-11) & Cameron Young (-11)
McIlroy
Saturday snapshot: Despite squandering the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history, McIlroy still holds a share of the lead at 11 under after his 1-over 73. His day included a costly double bogey at the par-4 11th when his second shot found the water—something Jack Nicklaus specifically warned him to avoid earlier in the week. There were flashes of his masterful Friday 65, but he’ll need to find more consistency with his driver on Sunday.
What a win would mean: McIlroy would join elite company as just the fourth man to win back-to-back Masters, alongside Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. After ending his nearly 11-year Augusta drought last year, another victory would cement his place among golf’s all-time greats and mark his 30th Tour win.
Key quote: “I’d like to think that I’ll play a little bit freer… like I’ve already got a green jacket, which I do. Sometimes I maybe just have to remind myself of that. The atmosphere out there will be a little bit easier. I’m not worried about that at all. I wish I was a few shots better off, but I’m comfortable.”
Young
Saturday snapshot: Young’s remarkable 7-under 65 erased an eight-stroke deficit to McIlroy. That’s even more impressive considering he was 4 over through his first nine holes on Thursday. His third round featured eight birdies, including a chip-in on No. 4 and a lengthy putt at 16 that tied him for the lead. His only blemish was a bogey at 15.
What a win would mean: This would be Young’s first major win and third Tour victory. He’d continue a trend as the third straight player to win The Players Championship and the Masters in the same season, following McIlroy (2025) and Scottie Scheffler (2024).
Key quote: “I don’t get the sense I’ll be the fan favorite [tomorrow], but I feel the support. Some fans that cheer for me have gotten louder over the last year. It will still be lopsided, I think. Rory’s kind of a world favorite in the golf world.”
Penultimate Pairing (2:14 p.m. EDT): Sam Burns (-10) & Shane Lowry (-9)
Burns
Saturday snapshot: Burns delivered a steady 4-under 68 to reach 10 under, making him one of just three players in double digits under par. While paired with McIlroy, Burns kept his card clean with some gritty par saves. He’ll need another strong round—and likely more—to overcome the leaders.
What a win would mean: This would be Burns’ first major win and sixth Tour victory. He hasn’t won since the 2023 Match Play, a stretch of 1,113 days.
Key quote: “I can’t control anything anyone else does. I can only control how I carry myself, my attitude, and those are the things I’m going to focus on.”
Lowry
Saturday snapshot: Lowry’s 4-under 68 was highlighted by a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth. He added two more birdies to stay firmly in contention.
What a win would mean: This would give Lowry his second major title after the 2019 Open Championship. It would also mark consecutive wins for players from Ireland—Lowry representing Ireland proper and McIlroy Northern Ireland. The two friends recently teamed up to win the 2024 Zurich Classic.
Key quote: “Maybe I’m just good,” Lowry laughed when asked about his knack for holes-in-one at Augusta, having also aced the 16th during the 2016 final round.
Third-to-Last Pairing (2:03 p.m. EDT): Jason Day (-8) & Justin Rose (-8)
Day
Saturday snapshot: Day bookended his round with bogeys but made six birdies in between for a 4-under 68. He’s looking to improve on last year’s T-8 finish, his best since finishing runner-up in his 2011 Masters debut.
What a win would mean: This would be Day’s second major championship after the 2015 PGA and his 14th Tour victory. His last win came at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson.
Key quote: “The goal is to try and cut into the lead tomorrow through [the first] nine, and if I can do that, great. Then get myself somewhere near the lead on the back side and try and give myself opportunities.”
Rose
Saturday snapshot: Rose put together another solid round of 69, his second straight, with three birdies and no bogeys. His consistent 70-69-69 start has him in position to challenge.
What a win would mean: Rose was on the losing end of last year’s Masters playoff. At 45, he’d become the second-oldest Masters champion in history behind Nicklaus (46 in 1986) and ahead of Woods (43 in 2019). It would end his 13-year major drought since winning the 2013 U.S. Open.
Key quote: “I’m comfortable here, but never complacent here. I feel like there’s always something to learn. You’ve always got to respect the golf course. You enjoy the experience here Monday to Wednesday, and then I don’t think you enjoy another golf shot for the rest of the week, because everything is kind of—there’s high risk and high reward on every shot you hit here.”
Fourth-to-Last Pairing (1:52 p.m. EDT): Scottie Scheffler (-7) & Haotong Li (-7)
Scheffler
Saturday snapshot: The world No. 1 charged up the leaderboard with a 7-under 65 that included an eagle at No. 2 and five birdies. The new father of two is now firmly in the mix at 7 under.
What a win would mean: A victory would silence any talk of Scheffler’s supposed slump. This would be his fifth major win and third Masters in five years (2022, 2024). It would also be his 21st Tour win and the second time he’s won the Masters in the same year he welcomed a child.
Key quote: “I think that’s what great players and great competitors do is they’re able to rise to the occasion. When you look at the biggest tournaments, you’d be hard-pressed to find another tournament that’s bigger than this one, especially for myself.” When asked what color he’d call the putting surfaces, he simply said “grass” and laughed.
Li
Saturday snapshot: Li reached 9 under at one point before finding water twice—at Nos. 13 and 15. Remarkably, he salvaged bogeys on both holes and finished with a 3-under 69, helped by an eagle on the par-5 eighth.
What a win would mean: Li would become the first Masters champion from China. This would be his first major title, coming less than a year after finishing T-4 at the 2025 Open—his best major finish. Interestingly, he played in the final round pairing with Scheffler at that tournament, which Scheffler won.
Key quote: “Still battling. Didn’t expect actually got such a great result today,” Li said, referring to stomach issues he battled Thursday night into Friday.
History suggests Sunday’s champion will likely come from the final pairing—the last nine Masters winners played in the last group, and 30 of the last 35 champions came from the final three groups. But with such a tightly packed leaderboard, this Masters Sunday feels wide open.
