In August, Cameron Young won his first PGA Tour title in the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield.
In March, he won the Players Championship, the most-prestigious non-major tournament.
And on Sunday, the former Wake Forest golfer will go head-to-head with defending champion Rory McIlroy in the final round of the Masters on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National. If he wins, Young would become only the second Wake Forest golfer to win at Augusta, joining four-time champion Arnold Palmer.
With several contenders, including McIlroy dunking shots into water on Augusta’s famed back nine, Young shot 7-under-par 65 to pull into a tie with McIlroy at 11-under 205.
Young will be with McIlroy in Sunday’s final 2:25 p.m. tee time. They’ll have to hold off some of the world’s best players, including Sam Burns, Shane Lowry, Jason Day, Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler, who are each within four strokes of the leaders.
Considered almost a lock to win after grabbing a six-stroke lead after the second round at 12-under, McIlroy began paying the price for the errant driving and inconsistent iron play he’s displayed throughout the tournament.
Beginning with nine pars, McIlroy double-bogeyed 11 and bogeyed 12 to bring several players back into contention. He finished the round with 73.
Eight shots behind McIlroy entering the third round, Young birdied Nos. 3, 4, 7 and 8. He took a brief solo lead with a birdie at 14 while McIlroy failed to save par after a pulled tee shot at 12.
Young’s key shot was a holed pitch from 24 yards behind the third green after his tee shot rolled through the back of the green.
Playing much earlier in the day without much network TV coverage, Scheffler also shot 65 Saturday to pull within four strokes.
Burns and Lowry will play together in Sunday’s second-to-last group, before Rose and Day.
McIlroy was the only player Saturday to shoot an over-par score.
