Next In Cameron Young's Rocket-Like Career Trajectory: the Presidents Cup
His short golf career trajectory has been up, then a trifle sideways, and now up like a rocket. He is a budding superstar, and one who is staying with the PGA Tour. He is highly intelligent, well-spoken, thoughtful, loves to compete—and to win. Married and a father, he is of serious mien and very focused on his craft.
He is arguably America’s brightest young star, who has seemingly burst onto the world golf scene out of nowhere, from toiling on the Korn Ferry Tour (where he won twice) to making the Presidents Cup team in a matter of only about a year.
Cameron Young, 25, is one of the brightest young stars on the PGA Tour.
Raj Mehta/USA Today
He is a beast on the golf course—powerful, but with the touch of a jewel thief, and the enviable nerves of a young, world-class athlete.
He is Cameron Young, 25, out of Westchester County, New York, Fordham Prep in the Bronx, and Wake Forest University.
Golf Moves to the Top
Growing up in Westchester, New York, Young was always a gifted athlete. As a kid, he played both hockey and baseball. While he enjoyed both sports (and according to his father, could throw a baseball harder than anyone his age in the area), they were secondary to his love for golf.
“I always had some interest in golf from (age) 3 or 4 on, with my Dad being the head pro at Sleepy Hollow and taking me out at an early age. But when I was 10, I had a real interest in getting better and taking it seriously,” Young said. “And that’s because I got to know the other top kids that age who played, and I found I took a lot of pleasure in beating them.”
He disdains the storyline that growing up in the Northeast was a handicap. “I was given so much opportunity to play and practice while at Fordham Prep, and the Sleepy Hollow membership welcomed me and my family with open arms and I was able to use those facilities all the time,” Young said.
Of course, if any athlete has the desire to be great in an outdoor warm weather sport like golf, living in the north, and specifically the New York area, poses its own unique challenges. For Young, he had to find a way to be able to perfect his craft even during the cold-weather months.
“I was very fortunate that we were able to travel to Florida often to be able to play year-round,” Young said. “I had as much, if not more, access than anyone else to golf.”
For Young to be able to accomplish his dreams of becoming a professional golfer, he needed a strong support system. “Providing opportunities is all my family did. I abused my dad for his time and insights, even today,” Young said.
The ongoing bond between father and son from golf is enviable. Cam’s mother Barbara is an integral part of the golf and family dynamic, as well.
Many of the conversations between Young and his father today include sending swing videos back and forth, critiquing what they see. Young’s mother was even his caddie for a large portion of his early amateur career.
In 2014, at 17, he was named to the U.S. squad for the Junior Ryder Cup. The year prior, he tied for fifth in the 2013 Junior PGA Championship and had already represented the United States in the Junior Golf World Cup in Japan (where he finished fourth) and won the prestigious AJGA's Junior Match Play Classic in 2013.
In 2015, Young had a big win in the opening round of match play of the U.S. Amateur, knocking off 2014 winner Gunn Yang. But in the round of 32, he fell to a young Spaniard named Jon Rahm, 7 and 6. “It was pretty funny, because even after that match, I needed to introduce myself to Jon this year on the first tee when we paired together," Young said. "He clearly progressed a lot farther and a lot faster than I did. But he’s a great guy and I love to listen to his insights”.
Those in the know about American junior golf knew who he was. He was viewed as an up-and-comer and potential world-beater. But his collegiate career, while good—perhaps very good—was certainly not superstar-like or commensurate with his pre-college trajectory.
College, and Will Zalatoris
Young headed south for college, receiving a golf scholarship at Wake Forest University.
“I think I had a natural aptitude for certain parts of school,” Young said. “I loved Wake Forest, but I didn’t love studying, although there were certain things that I found interesting (he graduated cum laude with a degree in economics). At the end of the day, golf was more important to me. Will I someday regret I did not focus more on academics? Maybe, but right now it all feels good.”
During his time at Wake, Young was teammates with fellow PGA Tour member and newly minted superstar Will Zalatoris. But contrary to popular belief, they were never roommates.
“Yeah, we never lived together,” Young said. “We did share hotel rooms at college tournaments, but that was it. We spent a lot of time playing and practicing together and shared a lot of the same ambitions. But we didn’t spend much time together away from the course.”
Young acknowledged that during their time together at Wake, Zalatoris was miles ahead of him and the rest of his teammates when it came to golf. Early on in a team qualifier contested over five rounds at different local courses, Young finished 22 over. Zalatoris finished 18 under.
“I think that’s a pretty good representation of where our respective golf games were at the time,” Young said, noting that Zalatoris had such game that he was already essentially a professional golfer.
That gap was a considerable motivator, and now there's a healthy (and closer) competition between the two over practice rounds. Young attributes his own work ethic, as well as a little bit of luck.
“I think it’s a combination of some things. Nothing has really changed in terms of how I go about constantly trying to improve, but it’s all come together for me now, all the work I have put in and the guidance from my father," he said. "Also, it would be neglectful not to acknowledge the impact that pure chance has— playing well at the right times and the right tournaments.”
In his junior year at Wake Forest, he was Honorable Mention All-American, then senior year was a second team All-American. Yet he is the first to tell you that he was not the player he believed he could be when he was at Wake.
Rapid Rise
After turning pro just three years ago, Young now stands astride the golf world as the presumptive (and likely unanimous) Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour and a Presidents Cup rookie. In his rookie season he had seven Top 10s, five runner-up finishes and two top 3s. That would be a remarkable year for most veteran players. And that success didn't just come in obscure tournaments, either.
In May, Young tied for third at the PGA Championship (one shot out of the Zalatoris-Justin Thomas playoff), and in the first round of the British Open shot a bogey-free round of 8-under-par 64 to top the leaderboard by two. He went on to finish second at 19 under, eagling the last to finish one behind winner Cameron Smith.
“Eventually, I believed I was going to get to where I am today, but there was of course no assurance it would happen and no way to predict how quickly it did happen,” Young said.
Later this week he'll compete in his first Presidents Cup as part of a stacked U.S. team.
“It will be a really nice opportunity for me,” Young said. “I already played a practice round with Justin Thomas and Tony Finau. Candidly, this year has really become a bit of a blur; I haven’t really had time to sit down and appreciate everything yet that has happened to me in so short a time.”
Young started 2020 ranked No. 1,528 in the world, with no status on any tour. After Monday qualifying into a Korn Ferry event, he strung together four top-15 finishes to rise to No. 501 in the world. He won twice on the Korn Ferry in 2021 on his way to earning his PGA Tour card and started 2022 at 134th in the world ranking.
He is now 17th and about to play for his country in Charlotte as a captain’s pick.
Statistically, Young is second on tour in strokes-gained off-the-tee and third in driving distance at 319 yards, and 15th in strokes-gained tee-to-green and total. Where can improvement, statistically, come from? From around and on the green, where he is 71st and 68th in strokes-gained around-the-green and putting. But all that noted, he is still sixth in birdies on Tour.
He loves to listen and learn from the game’s greats and pick their brains. But now he is himself knocking on the door of greatness.
Staying His Course
When asked about LIV Golf and the reports of discussions he had with the upstart tour, Young declined comment.
But when approached a different way—asked if the recent back injury sustained by his friend Zalatoris gave him a perspective of how quickly it could all slip away, and whether the immediate de-risking of his financial future would have any appeal—he did weigh in about LIV, if obliquely so.
“Yes, I do think about Will and the implications for me if I was to get hurt, but I am sure he will be fine and I am confident I could work hard to overcome any injuries at my age," Young said. "Besides, no matter what the tour, all the top guys want to be champions and winners too, so it would be crushing for any of us if our ability to compete was impeded by injury.”
The golf world is flush with Camerons these days: Smith. Champ. Tringale. Percy. Davis. Just being the best of the Camerons would be a terrific accomplishment. But Young wants more—to be the best player in the world.
And if that happens, he won't need to introduce himself to anyone on the first tee.