Cameron Young needed a save, and he got one. After going out in 40 on Augusta National’s front nine Thursday, Young steadied himself on the back nine with three birdies and still managed a 1-over 73 in the first round of the Masters.
That was not supposed to be the story of his week. Young arrived at Augusta National with the seventh-best pre-tournament odds at 22 to 1, a sharp rise from the 170 to 1 he carried before the 2025 Masters, and the club even asked him to appear in a pre-tournament press conference. For a player with six top 10s in 18 major starts before this Masters and a win at the Players Championship already on his resume, the shift from longshot to contender has been sudden.
It also helped explain why Thursday mattered. Young had spent the past five years as a cult favorite and a regular sleeper pick in majors, but he had never entered one as a true favorite until now. His 73 kept him in the conversation, though it fell short of the kind of opening round that would have fully matched the expectations that came with his new status.
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Rory McIlroy provided the day's benchmark at the top of the board. He shot 67 and tied Sam Burns for the lead, producing his best opening round in 18 attempts at the Masters. McIlroy said he is trying to judge himself less by the number on the card than by whether he is making good decisions, staying committed and trusting what he sees.
“I still have high expectations of myself, but my expectations are more did I make good decisions today? Was I committed? Was I trusting?” McIlroy said. He added that his goal was not to leave the course thinking, “I’m going to go out and shoot 65, and did I do it?” Instead, he said he wants to focus on the process, on “the little mini goals” and on avoiding mistakes that snowball, such as “hitting it in trees and trying to be a hero.”
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That makes McIlroy a fitting comparison for Young, who is now dealing with the same kind of pressure that follows a breakthrough win and a higher line on the betting board. McIlroy arrived early to Augusta National this week with the benefit of years spent living inside that scrutiny. Young is only now learning what it feels like when a promising name starts to sound like a serious Masters pick.
The difference on Thursday was that McIlroy executed the kind of round that supports the talk, while Young had to rescue his. If the rest of the week is going to turn Young from a name on the odds board into a real factor, he will need the steadier version of the game he showed on the back nine more than the mistake-filled start he posted on the front.
