McIlroy and Young Tied at Top as Masters Final Round Promises Thrilling Finish
Rory McIlroy will tee off in the final pairing of the 2026 Masters Tournament this afternoon, tied for the lead with American Cameron Young at 11-under par, as the Northern Irishman bids to become only the fourth golfer in history to win back-to-back Masters titles at Augusta National.
McIlroy, the defending champion, enters Sunday's final round having surrendered a historic six-shot lead during Saturday's third round — the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history — after carding a one-over 73 that included three bogeys and a double bogey.
Background
McIlroy's 2025 Masters victory ended a long wait for the Holywood native to complete the career Grand Slam, and he arrived at Augusta this week as the clear favourite to defend his title. His first two rounds were imperious, building a lead that appeared unassailable heading into the weekend. However, Saturday's struggles with his driver — hitting only eight of 14 fairways — allowed the field to close in dramatically.
Key Developments
Cameron Young, who began Saturday's round eight shots off the pace, produced a stunning seven-under 65 — tied with Scottie Scheffler for the lowest round of the day — to draw level with McIlroy at 11-under. Young, 28, is seeking his first major championship title and will play alongside McIlroy in the final pairing, teeing off at 2:25pm ET (7:25pm BST).
Sam Burns sits in third place at 10-under, while Shane Lowry — who made history on Saturday by recording a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth hole, his second career ace at Augusta and the first player ever to achieve multiple holes-in-one at the Masters — is in fourth at 9-under. Lowry's stunning 7-iron from 190 yards was the 35th ace in Masters history and the first since 2022.
Scottie Scheffler, the two-time Masters champion, climbed from 24th to a tie for seventh at 7-under after his brilliant 65, and cannot be discounted as a contender.
McIlroy acknowledged his Saturday struggles, saying he did not quite have it on Saturday but expressed confidence heading into the final round, noting he would try to play more freely knowing he already has a Green Jacket.
Why It Matters
For McIlroy, a second consecutive Masters title would cement his status as one of the greatest players of his generation and silence any lingering doubts about his ability to perform under the most intense pressure. Historically, 30 of the last 35 Masters winners have come from the final pairing on Sunday, and 84 of the 89 champions were within five shots of the lead through 54 holes — both statistics favour the co-leaders.
For Irish and Northern Irish golf fans, the prospect of both McIlroy and Lowry in contention on Masters Sunday is an extraordinary occasion.
What's Next
The final round gets under way this afternoon, with full coverage available on Sky Sports Golf and the Masters app. Follow live updates at BBC Sport's Masters live blog.
