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Cameron Young has explained that he and Rory McIlroy hardly spoke during Sunday's final round of the Masters, with the defending Masters champion opting for a repeat of the silent treatment he used against Bryson DeChambeau last year. The pair were grouped together as the final pairing of the tournament at Augusta National, both vying for a Green Jacket.

It comes a year after McIlroy was partnered with DeChambeau in the final round. DeChambeau was quizzed on how McIlroy was feeling after the round, following a dropped shot on the 18th that forced a play-off with Justin Rose, to which DeChambeau delivered a pointed response. The manner in which he phrased his answer hinted at an underlying resentment.

"No idea," he said, adding: "Didn't talk to me once all day. He wouldn't talk to me." McIlroy was subsequently asked for his reaction to those remarks and appeared genuinely puzzled.

"I don't know what he was expecting, like, we were trying to win the Masters, I'm not going to try and be his best mate out there," he said at the PGA Championship. Young also confirmed that McIlroy's reserved demeanour is nothing personal, but rather a deliberate strategy during the final round of a major.

When questioned after his round about whether the pair had interacted, Young replied: "There is not much. I mean, I'm not one to talk a ton to begin with, and I don't think he really wanted to talk to me today. Sunday at the Masters in the final group, you know, don't wish anything poorly on the guy, but we're playing against each other.

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"Not trying to be best friends out there. Just one of those times that either you leave each other be and if there is a moment - there were one or two but not many."

Young claimed victory at the Players in March and has now come agonisingly close to claiming the Masters title. Competing alongside McIlroy is only likely to broaden his experience when he finds himself in the thick of the action at major tournaments, yet Young believes he has sufficient ability to win regardless.

He said: "I don't know. He's obviously a great player. I watched him play three rounds this week. I think if you asked him he would admit that he didn't drive it particularly straight the first two days and did some incredible scoring.

"Some of that is down to the randomness of golf. Sometimes you hit a bunch wedges close in a row. Sometimes you don't. So sure, yes. There is plenty to learn from him. At the same time, I would like to look back on this week more in the sense of I played great, well enough to win, and it just didn't quite fall my way this time."