Somehow, someway, Cameron Young holds a joint lead in the 2026 Masters heading into Sunday’s final round at Augusta National. Despite opening the tournament with 73 points and trailing behind eight shots after two rounds, he is tied with Rory McIlroy with 18 holes to play.
But before Young goes to battle with McIlroy for the green jacket on Sunday afternoon, he has a unique Sunday morning plan. And it’s one that worked very well for Young at this year’s Players Championship.
He will do mass with the whole family.
Cameron Young says Masters Sunday will not disrupt the church’s routine
At the start of Masters week, Young explained a common practice he and his family go through most Sundays on the PGA Tour: finding a Catholic church to attend Sunday morning mass.
Young and his family didn’t even skip church on Sunday at the Players Championship last month. And it was a good thing they didn’t. Young came out and shot a 68 from the back of the pile to capture the biggest victory of his career at TPC Sawgrass.
Cameron Young started this Masters cold. Now there is no hotter player
By:
Michael Bamberger
Competing in the “big five” might not be enough to make the Juniors jump the pile, but what about leading the Masters?
It’s not a chance. Young revealed that he plans to take his family to a stop in Augusta before bringing them together for the final round, just like any other week.
Although from Saturday night, he wasn’t sure which local church they would find themselves in on Sunday morning.
“I don’t know where we’re going to go yet, but we’re going to find a place and take the kids. We’re going to come out in droves as usual,” Young confirmed Saturday evening in Augusta.
Regarding whether it will be difficult to go to unknown parties as he holds the Masters, Young said, “It’s possible, but it won’t stop us.”
We will have to wait and see if the prayers of the Young family can help their grandfather survive the Amen’s Corner unscathed on Sunday.
New Sunday Masters crowd: ‘I don’t think I’ll be fan favourite’
When he returns to Augusta National after Sunday’s mass, Young knows he’ll have a tough job ahead of him.
Keeping calm until the Masters Sunday is no easy feat, but Young thinks his recent experience winning the Players Championship will help.
“I said it, I think in my press conference afterwards [at the 2026 Players]what I was really trying to do was prepare to play Sunday night at Augusta. Now I’m here with a late Sunday at Augusta, and that’s the best preparation I could ask for.”
Young’s plan is to copy his “process” from Sunday at TPC Sawgrass and try to stay calm in the knowledge that all competitors will have ups and downs in the final round.
‘Maybe I’m right’: Shane Lowry’s history of Masters ace puts him in contention for green jacket
By:
Kevin Cunningham
“I’m going to try to do the same process, the same mindset as I did that day [at the Players]. I remember that I did a good job of just staying where I was, knowing that everyone would be doing different things throughout the day. At some point a lot of people are going to make a run and a lot of people are going to make a bogey or two. “
He added: “There’s no telling when that will be for me, but ultimately you’ve just got to stay on your course and play the best golf you can and see where you’re at with a few holes. There’s not much you can change before that.”
As for the sponsors of Sunday’s Masters at Augusta, Young strongly feels McIlroy, the defending champion and “universal favorite,” will have more support from outside the wire.
“I don’t get the idea that I’m going to be a fan favorite, but yeah, I feel like the support, some of the fans cheering for me has gone up a lot over the last year. I think it’s still going to go down. I think Rory is a universal favorite in the golf world,” Young said. “A year ago, if I was in the same position, it would have been a lot less, and now it’s probably a little bit. So I’ll take what I can get, and I’ll be happy with that.”
Regardless of what happens on Sunday, Young is comforted by the fact that when it’s all over he will return to his wife and children, as he does every week, and life will go on.
“I love being [his wife and kids] to go out and be able to have a normal job. Instead of saying goodbye for three weeks or four weeks, whatever it is, I’m going to work for a long day, but I was with them this morning, and I’m going to see them tonight. It’s good to do that,” said Young.
;)
