Cameron

Young

The power hitter entered the week in sub-par form by his standards. He had finished outside of the top 50 in six of his last seven starts. He’s flipped the script this week with 15 birdies through 36 holes (best in the field). Young went back to the ball that he played all of last year and that is certainly working out for him so far. He also talked about the chemistry between him and “new” caddie Paul Tesori, “I feel like we’re really getting there. We’ve had our really good and really bad moments I feel like. All in all, it’s been amazing, and he works so hard and knows so much that he has turned into a huge resource for me, even in this short period of time. I trust him.” If this lead holds then it would be his first time holding a 36-hole lead or co-lead on the PGA Tour.

The New York native enters the week off a pair of ho-hum finishes at the RBC Heritage (T51) and Wells Fargo Championship (T59). His confidence tank isn’t full but not running on empty, either. Perhaps a semi-home game will lift his game. “It feels like home. Obviously I didn’t live that close to here, but it’s the same style of golf, and I’m just excited for the week.I think even walking down the first hole today, there’s something familiar about just the grasses and kind of the weather that I feel like is unique to this part of the country.” Young twirled a T3 at Southern Hills last year which was his PGA Championship debut. He’s yet to win on the big stage but his game is built for tough courses which Oak Hill certainly is.

Young missed the cut in his 2022 Masters debut but did much better the second time around. He was second in strokes gained off-the-tee behind only Jon Rahm. He was also just outside of the top 5 in putting. “I feel like I played really well. I think I made three doubles with no penalty strokes, and I’m going to lose by four-ish shots. So that is a bummer.” Young now has three top 10s in major championships and remains on the hunt for his breakout win.

The big hitter roared out of the gate with a three-hole birdie train and picked off four more birdies before his day was done. He’s more relaxed in his second attempt at Augusta National. “I think comfort level is like the main thing. I was afraid to go hit the first tee shot last year, and this year it wasn’t at all the same. I’m just a lot more comfortable.” Young piped 12-of-14 fairways and landed 14 GIR while also gaining more than a stroke putting. The all-around attack has him well-positioned after day one.

Young went 1-2-0 in his WGC-Match Play debut but found his form this week. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that he’s picked up steam the first week having Paul Tesori on his bag. Young found himself 2DOWN thru 15 but circled birdie on two of the last three to force extra holes and he delivered a birdie on hole one of the playoff. Young’s confidence tank is now full ahead of his showdown with 13-seed Sam Burns, “It’s just further proof that I feel like I can hang with anybody in the world. Rory’s obviously one of the best of his generation, if not the best, and one of the best players in the world right now. So anytime you get to go out and play 19 holes with him it’s a lot of fun. Just thankful to get it done.”

Tesori is best known for being the longtime bagman for Webb Simpson but they made the swap starting this week. “Webb and I played a practice round together 22 times this past year, so I’ve been around him a ton, so it’s really comfortable. I think he just brings a ton of energy, which is good for me. I’m kind of pretty flat-lined. But it’s been great so far.” Young also added AimPoint Express to his putting arsenal so there are lots of new changes and so far, so good. Today’s match against 36-seed Corey Conners wasn’t an easy one, with Conners leading after nine of the first 15 holes. Young splashed home a 16'9" eagle at the par-5 16th to even the score and then followed that up with a birdie to claim control. With this win, Young and Tesori control their group-play destiny with a Friday match against 27-seed Sepp Straka on deck.

Young said he “feels at home” during his pre-tourney presser and that showed today as he traded five birdies and an eagle with just two bogeys. “I played here probably maybe every other year for the bunch of years we were down here as a kid, because we lived just across the way at Orange Tree for awhile in the winter.” He posted a T13 last year in his tournament debut. Young admitted that he likely squeezed the maximum juice out of today’s lemon as he pelted just 12 GIR but gained 1.5 strokes around-the-green and 1.7 strokes putting to get the job done with his short game. If this co-lead holds then it would be his fourth career first-round lead or co-lead on the PGA TOUR (T3/2022 RBC Heritage; T60/2022 Memorial; 2nd/2022 Open Championship).

The Wake Forest product is the reigning Arnold Palmer Award winner and now gets a chance to play Arnie’s event for the second time in his career. He finished T13 last year in his debut. It may have been his tournament debut but he is very comfortable in the area, “It’s an unbelievable golf course. I’m very familiar with the area. My family used to kind of spend some time here in the winter. So it kind of feels a little bit like home.” He’ll start his week alongside Sungjae Im and Seamus Power, going off at 8:11 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Young had a remarkable rookie season, posting seven podium finishes in 25 events played. He had a quiet fall, perhaps opting for a much-deserved break after a big year. He made sure to go out in style, though, poking his name into contention one last time in 2022. Young traded five birdies with one bogey today, finishing four shots off the winning pace. “I think I played much better today actually than I had the last few days. Yeah, I didn’t make quite as many putts as yesterday, but I think overall I actually played the best probably today of any day.” Young is one of the best drivers on the planet right now and he’ll continue to be a weekly fantasy target while that remains true.

Young becomes the second straight Wake Forest Demon Deacon to win this award, after Will Zalatoris got the job done last year. PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan weighed in, “Cameron’s career has seen a remarkable rise over the last several years, and he quickly became a favorite among fans last season with the style in which he attacks the golf course. And of course, given Cameron’s Wake Forest ties, receiving the Arnold Palmer Award as PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year will certainly hold a special significance for him.” Young’s rookie campaign included a remarkable five runner-up finishes with third-play finishes on his resume, as well. He played his way to East Lake and quickly established himself as one of the elite drivers on the planet. Young opened his sophomore season with a T53 in Japan last week and will look to rebound this week at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina.