Some of the buzz starting to build early ahead of final round of the Masters

Just before the last groups were to tee off for the final round of the Masters, there was a muted sense of anticipation around the grounds. 

The scoreboard watching had only begun, in earnest, as Viktor Hovland was 7 under for the day through the 13th hole. His double-bogey 7 on No. 15 muted some of that enthusiasm, but he birdied the 16th to get back to 6 under for the day

There was a buzz around the first tee as some of the leaders began their rounds, including a notable roar when Scottie Scheffler teed off, and later birdied, moving within two shots of co-leaders Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy, who hadn't started yet. 

Around the 18th green, the patrons' chairs were arranged several rows back, as they prepared for what could be an fantastic finish to the fortnight. 

McIlroy birdied No. 3 to get back to 12-under, and pushed ahead with a birdie on No. 10, but he couldn't gain momentum. He double-bogeyed the 11th and after a bogey on the 12th hole, he found himself in a dogfight with Cameron Young and Burns. 

That's when the scoreboard-watching started. With every update of the manual scoreboards, there was a gasp or a sense of surprise, as McIlroy's lead evaporated. Young was five groups ahead of McIlroy and Burns, so Young already had finished with a the day at 11-under after shooting a 65. 

That became the talk among the galleries in the last few holes. 

On No. 15, McIlroy regained the lead with a birdie, but on No. 17, his tee shot was behind the trees and left of the hole. He managed a line-drive second shot between the two bunkers and beyond the green. His third shot was a pitch within a few feet of the hole, but he missed the par putt and settled for a bogey. 

The drama set off the perfunctory chatter among the gallery. 

The lead was gone, but the suspense was set up for Sunday's final round. 

Buckle up for the final pairing on Masters Sunday, Cameron Young. 

The New York native fired a blistering 65 in Saturday's third round to move into a tie with Rory McIlroy at 11-under. 

Young, 28, has recorded top 7 finishes in each of the four majors. He finished tied for seventh at the 2023 Masters. Is he ready to break through and win? 

McIlroy's so-so performance Saturday left the door open. 

"Out here that's so much of the battle," Young said. "You're going to get good breaks; you're going to get bad ones. You're going to hit a bad shot or two. The ability to just swallow it and move on and go hit your next shot, the emotions of it, the frustration, whatever it may be, I think this place really punishes you if you play angry or impatient."

Shane Lowry has entered the conversation.

The 39-year-old Irishman just moved into a four-way tie for second place with a hole-in-one on hole No. 6. Lowry moved to 8-under with the shot, four strokes behind his close friend and second-round leader Rory McIlroy.

Lowry used a 7-iron from 190 yards away, and after a couple of hops, the ball found the cup. 

It was Lowry's second hole-in-one this season, along with an ace at the Texas Children's Houston Open on March 27.

The walk to some of Augusta National's must-see sights isn't an easy stroll for anyone in Saturday's heat.

For young families, it might be easier to shoot par through Amen Corner than get there without a meltdown.

There is a place near the main entrance where you can watch the best golfers in the world and minimize tears. The tournament practice facility — known everywhere else in the world as the driving range — has plenty of seating and is close to bathrooms, concessions and the golf shop. 

The area doesn't have many patrons by the afternoon, so kids have unobstructed views of the golfers from the ropes. Golfers often give high-fives and gift the occasional golf ball to well-behaved kids.

Rory McIlroy has not slowed down after a red-hot start to the Masters on Thursday.

The reigning champion just made his seventh birdie of the day on hole No. 16 to take a four-stroke lead over the field. McIlroy also birdied the 12th, 13th and 15th holes, three of the most challenging spots on the course.

McIlroy entered Friday sharing the lead with Sam Burns at 5-under-par. He'll tee off at hole No. 17 at 10-under-par.

The next-closest golfers to McIlroy are Burns and Patrick Reed, who both finished at 6-under-par.

The celebrities are out and about Friday during the Round 2. Glance into the clubhouse area during the afternoon and there's a solid chance you'll see the Mannings holding court. Peyton and Eli, both members of Augusta National, are among the most popular people here, seamlessly transitioning from one conversation to another.

Other notable appearances include Jason Kelce, Fernando Mendoza and his brother Alberto, who's now a Georgia Tech quarterback (and was wearing a Braves polo) and Saquon Barkley. Country music artist Riley Green was also hanging around the clubhouse midafternoon.

On my first trek out today, I stopped at one of my favorite spots, No. 9, along with No. 10 and No. 14. 

For the first time, I caught Bryson DeChambeau, with a big crowd surrounding the first tee. 

"Fore, please! Now driving, Bryson DeChambeau," the starter bellowed, followed by thunderous applause that could have been the prelude to the Artemis II launch. Then his drive whizzed by with the same fury. 

What caught my eye on the par-4 14th was a wayward approach shot by Justin Thomas that bounced off the green and back near the raised TV roost. After working with an official to get some relief, Thomas got a drop and was a considerable chip back to the green. 

Some patrons and their chairs had to be moved to create a lane for Thomas to chip out, going back right toward the hole. He had an excellent chip, getting within about 5 feet. He made that and saved par to stay at 1-over. 

On the par-4 10th hole, John Keefer was playing in one of the few pairings, with Haotong Li. Keefer was short on his approach and had to chip uphill to get on the green. His chip hit the flag stick and bounced back down the hill. The next chip landed within about 7 feet, leaving a tough bogey attempt, which he missed. He settled for a double-bogey 6. 

The pin placement on the ninth hole  was a bit closer to the bottom edge of the green, which made for a little easier putting. Through the middle of the day, the ninth was playing as the 13th-easiest hole, with a 4.078 average. 

Sam Burns isn't a top name in golf, but he is atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the 2026 Masters.

Burns shot 5 under par, tying Rory McIlroy for the lead at Augusta National. The Shreveport, Louisiana, native has a long way to go, but he is on path for the best major finish of his career.

"I think just getting the ball in the green a ton is what I tried to do, even if it was 30 feet," Burns said after the round. "You know, a lot of these hole locations, they kind of try to tempt you to hit one close. You can make a bogey very quickly."

Burns has made the cut in 14 of his 20 major starts. His best major finish came at the 2024 U.S. Open, when he tied for ninth place.

Burns has been less successful at the Masters. He's made the cut in two of his four starts, tying for 29th place in 2023 and 46th place in 2025.

Burns has five PGA wins, but his last one came at the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2022. Burns famously beat his close friend and World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler for the title.

Burns starred at LSU before turning pro in 2017. He is making his fifth Masters start this week.

This advice extends beyond Masters week: If you have the opportunity to see Rory McIlroy and/or Scottie Scheffler up close, do so. McIlroy, the defending Masters champ, and Scheffler, the world's No. 1 golfer, look every bit of their acclaimed status in person. 

Both draw massive and engaged crowds as they work, so you might need to push through some folks to get a good view. It'd be worth it; they'll be legends we'll always remember watching.