Cam Young’s Road to Stardom

For those who have watched golf closely for the last five years, you’ve known the name Cam Young for quite a while. The quiet, golf-ball launching man who grew up playing at Sleepy Hollow Country Club – where his father worked as the head pro – and wears Major League Baseball’s logo on his collar. 

For those who only began watching golf recently, you know Cam Young because he’s won twice in the past year, and nearly jump-started Team USA’s Sunday comeback at last year’s Ryder Cup. But the Cam Young, 3rd-ranked player in the world we now all know and love, was almost all for not. 

After securing his promotion to the PGA TOUR in 2021, Young quickly became a star, finishing runner-up at the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, and would go on to win the 2021-22 Arnold Palmer Award – PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. That year, he also represented Team USA for the first time, winning a Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.

It seemed as if Young was destined for greatness, but then he stalled. Young spent most of 2023, 2024, and the early parts of 2025 struggling to get over the hump – like Scottie Scheffler in 2021, the question became: Can Cam Young win on the PGA TOUR? He had finished runner-up numerous times, but could not get it done. Finally, in the final event of the 2025 regular season, Young blitzed the field, winning the Wyndham Championship by 6 shots, and in total Cam Young fashion, barely cracked a smile. The monkey was off his back, he had won a tournament, and then was the U.S. Team’s best player at the Ryder Cup. 

Coming into 2026, the expectations for him were sky high, and was expected to become the star everyone expected him to be. At the 2026 PLAYERS Championship – the PGA TOUR’s signature event – he did just that. Four back headed into the final round, Young found himself near the top of the leaderboard heading to the TPC Sawgrass’ famed final three holes. He scrambled for his par from a plugged lie on the par-5 16th hole. Hit an unbelievable shot and better putt on the island green at 17, making birdie to take a one-shot lead. And on 18, with water left and trees right, hit possibly the greatest drive in TOUR history, blasting his tee shot 375 yards straight down the fairway, setting up a par to win THE PLAYERS Championship.

Young’s Sunday finish at THE PLAYERS showed what he was billed to be. And to borrow a line Jim Nantz used to describe Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 Masters victory: Young’s win at Sawgrass told the world: “His stardom confirmed.”