Mr. Cameron Young makes his mark on the game of golf as a rookie on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour.  As a local from Scarborough, New York, Cameron has sparked excitement during recent tournaments.  He continues to acquire achievements as he embarks on what is just the beginning of his career.

Cameron grew up on the grounds of Sleepy Hollow Country Club, where his father, PGA Professional Mr. David Young, currently serves as Head Professional of golf.  This proximity to the course allowed Cameron to improve his golf game, with the fifth and eighth holes of the lower course steps away from his home.  Sleepy Hollow is a Top 100 course, according to golf.com.  

Cameron attended Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, New York, where he played on the varsity golf team.  After graduating from Fordham Preparatory 2015, Cameron continued playing golf at Wake Forest University.  He then played on the Korn Ferry Tour, which prepares golfers to perform on the PGA Tour.  Cameron spoke about the transitions between high school, college, and professional golf.

“High school golf was just fun and not extremely competitive compared to college golf.  It was also more difficult in college to manage my time between golf and academics,” Cameron said.  “In some ways, it became easier once I started playing on the professional tours because that was all I had to focus on.  Although the travel has not been easy, and the competition now is the best players in the world.”

Cameron now plays alongside the best golfers in the world.  He scored 19 under par, placing him higher on the leaderboard than Mr. Rory McIlroy, Mr. Bryson DeChambeau, and Mr. Dustin Johnson at the British Open Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland, July 14 to 17.  Cameron finished as runner-up at the tournament as he was one shot behind Mr. Cameron Smith, according to nypost.com.  David shared his experience watching his son compete for a title at the British Open Championship.

“My most memorable moment in Cameron’s career so far is his eagle putt on the last hole of the Open Championship at St. Andrews,” David said.  “He drove the green on the par four and made that putt to tie for the lead momentarily until Cameron Smith holed a birdie putt to win by one stroke.”

Cameron received the title of PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2021-2022 season October 19.  PGA Tour players vote for the winner of the award.  94 percent of players on the tour voted for Cameron for Rookie of the Year, according to cbssports.com.  David spoke about his son’s character and how it has helped him gain accomplishments.

“I believe the two qualities that have contributed most to Cameron’s success are his competitiveness and his work ethic,” David said.  “He is driven to be the best he can be and is willing to do the work required to pursue his goals.”

Cameron spoke about how his determination helped him succeed.  Throughout his time playing high school, college, and professional golf, Cameron accomplished the goals he set.

“I have always been very competitive, so the motivation has remained fairly constant to become the best player I can be,” Cameron said.  “The goals keep getting bigger but achieving them is still a matter of doing the work to continually get better.”

Cameron made his debut on the United States (US) Team at the 2022 President’s Cup alongside his teammates, including Mr. Justin Thomas, Mr. Jordan Spieth, Mr. Kevin Kisner, and Mr. Tony Finau September 20 to 25.  The US Team won the tournament, continuing their nine-year streak as champions, according to presidentscup.com.  Mr. Davis Love III, captain of the 2022 US Team, selected Cameron as a team member.  Mr. Love III explained how Cameron would positively impact the team.

“Cameron is an exciting young player and someone who has a knack for playing his way into contention consistently,” Mr. Love III said, according to presidentscup.com.  “As one of the longest drivers of the ball on the PGA Tour, his length will be crucial at Quail Hollow, which is a big course with a lot of risk-reward shots.  We’re thrilled that he will bring some of that youthful swagger and confidence to our team.”

Golf involves equanimity, as playing 18 holes can take hours, and tournaments tend to last for multiple days.  David discussed the importance of maintaining composure while playing and how he advises Cameron.

“Golf has its ups and downs.  So we continuously remind ourselves to trust the process and accept the outcomes,” David said.  “If you have a plan to get better and work hard at it through the highs and the lows you can be satisfied you did your best.”

Golf has always been a center point in Cameron’s life.  He shared guidance for students who aim to pursue goals similar to his own and discussed the importance of remaining focused on a set plan.

“Obviously, it’s only a small percentage of high school players that play in college and an even smaller percentage of those that go on to play professional sports,” Cameron said.  “I think the path is a bit different for everyone depending on their sport.  For me, I thought it was important to finish college and have a degree to fall back on while I pursued a career in golf.  I do think the one piece of advice I would have for everyone trying to play at the next level is to be willing to put in the work.  You will be glad you did.”

Featured Image by Lindsay Benza ’23