Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young were locked in a tight battle at the Masters on Sunday, but still had some time for some mutual respect.
After McIlroy jumped out to a historic lead after 36 holes, Young and others surged back as McIlroy stumbled a bit, leading to a crowded leaderboard. As McIlroy and Young approached the back nine, they shared a moment that caught some attention among fans.
Rory McIlroy Shows His Appreciation
After McIlroy hit a strong shot on the 12th hole, Young matched with a well-placed shot of his own — earning a small gesture of admiration from the reigning Masters champion.
“Rory McIlroy gave Cameron Young a thumbs up after they each hit good shots on the Par 3 12th,” ESPN noted in a post on X showing the interaction.
The two had battled throughout the round, trading birdies on the 9th hole and flipping between the lead and falling back.
McIlroy has taken a laid-back approach to this year’s Masters, saying he felt free after finally breaking through with a win last year. McIlroy won in a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose, which he said left him loose this year.
“There’s still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes,” McIlroy said in an interview before the tournament started. “But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.”
Rory McIlroy Recovered From Sunday Stumble
After carrying the lead through each of the first three rounds, McIlroy lost his lead early on Sunday amid some struggles at Augusta.
“Rory needs to figure out how to turn things around,” noted ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. “He dropped another shot on the par-3 sixth. His tee shot with an 8-iron flew the green after the wind lay down, leaving him 36 feet from the hole. He tried to putt back up the hill and left his ball 12 feet from the cup. He couldn’t save par for another bogey to fall back to 9 under. The only good news? Young also made a bogey when he pulled a 6-foot par putt. Young is one stroke ahead of Henley and Rose and two in front of Scheffler and McIlroy.”
But McIlroy recovered and turned in some strong play late on Sunday, taking a three-shot lead after the 13th hole as Young and the other tightly packed grouping fell back a bit.
McIlroy is aiming to become the first golfer to win the Masters in back-to-back years since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. He took a unique approach to prepare for this year’s Masters, skipping out on other tournaments and making day trips from his home in Florida to Augusta to get used to the course.
Rory McIlroy Turns Heads With Action Toward Cameron Young Amid Masters Battle