Cam Young has officially progressed from a young star with bags of potential to being one of the best players in golf.
He was the nearly man of golf just a year ago. After an impressive rookie season, he and Tommy Fleetwood shared the title of best players without a PGA Tour win until Young won the Wyndham Championship by a landslide last year.
He impressed at the Ryder Cup at his home course, Bethpage Black, and now he has a Players Championship title to his name after beating Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass.
Young boldly declared that he has all eyes on Augusta National as The Masters fast approaches. The next step in his career is to win a major championship, and there’s no reason why he can’t have a Green Jacket placed upon his shoulders in under a month’s time.
In fact, there are three clear reasons why Young can win at Augusta this year.
1. Cam Young survived the pressure cooker of TPC Sawgrass
The biggest criticism of Young before this year’s Players was his inability to close the door late on Sunday. He didn’t shake that criticism at the Wyndham, as he carried a nine-shot lead into the 18th hole.
But for the first time in his career, Young met the moment at The Players. One shot down to Fitzpatrick on the iconic 17th, he stuck it close and drained his birdie putt, then hit the best shot of his career on the 18th tee to win it.
Young admitted to barely being able to see straight standing over a two-foot putt for the win on the 18th green, but he sank it, and a weight lifted off his shoulders. He proved to the world, and more importantly, himself, that he can win a close one on Sunday.
If he can cope with that pressure around Sawgrass, then you’d back him to do the same at Augusta.
2. Cam Young is well-suited to Augusta National
Augusta National rewards high ball speed and strokes gained off the tee, and that suits Young’s game perfectly.
His track record at the Masters is remarkably consistent. In 2024, he finished T9, and in 2022, he was T7. In fact, he has finished in the top 10 of at least one major every year since 2022. Young clearly thrives on the difficult setups and the big stage atmosphere of the majors.
With McIlroy and Rahm having incredible success at this course in recent seasons, it’s clear how Young can follow in their footsteps by playing with a similar approach this year. Especially after gaining nearly a stroke off the tee at TPC Sawgrass, and hitting the longest tee shot in the 18th hole’s history.
3. Cam Young is now an elite putter
Young is currently playing some of the most efficient golf of his career, but his recent form can be best attributed to his newfound putting ability. He used to be an average putter on the PGA Tour, but since hiring a new caddie, he’s now elite.
He brought in his former college teammate, Kyle Sterbinsky, who is one of the best green readers he knows, and it paid dividends at The Players. Young gained 1.33 strokes on the greens at TPC Sawgrass, which would have been unthinkable two years ago.
In 2024, Young was one of the worst putters on Tour. He ranked 145th, losing -0.23 shots per round. In the 10 months since Sterbinsky has been on the bag, Young is now a top-five putter in golf, having gained +0.74 shots per round.
That’s huge for the undulating greens of Augusta National. It’s no good bombing it off the tee if you can’t hole putts, and Young has proven his ability to thrive on the rapid greens of Sawgrass.