Cameron Young hit the shot of his life to win the 2026 Players Championship on Sunday.
It wasn’t a long putt or a hole-out; it was a 375-yard drive on TPC Sawgrass’ par-4 18th – the longest drive on that hole by any player since the ShotLink era began in 2004.
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A few shots later, his playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick would bogey, setting up Young’s winning par putt.
The 18th hole has had some bite in it all week, derailing rounds left and right. Young was a victim himself, with his tee shot going in the water on Saturday. Just 24 hours later, he was tied with Fitzpatrick for the lead at 13 under, needing to avoid the same fate.
“The overarching thought is I’m going to hit the best shot of my life right here,” Young said about what he was thinking when he stood over his ball at the 18th tee box. “I don’t know if I can think of one that’s better.”
Young started the day four shots back of Round 3 leader Ludvig Åberg, who was 13 under at the time. By the end of Round 4, they had switched scores – Young won at 13 under, and Åberg finished T-5 at nine under.
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Åberg was holding steady until the back nine, when disaster struck at the par-5 11th and par-4 12th. Back-to-back water balls carded him a bogey and double bogey in quick succession, all but eliminating the Swede from contention.
Michael Thorbjornsen was playing with Åberg in the final pairing. He entered the round one shot ahead of Young but met a worse fate than Åberg. Between holes three and four, Thorbjornsen went from one under on the day to three over – a water ball leading to a devastating quadruple bogey. He would finish with a 5-over 77 for the day, putting him five under overall and T-22.
This win was much different than Young’s first Tour victory seven months ago at the Wyndham Championship.
There, he had a sizable lead and converted – no nerves, little pressure. Here, he chased down Åberg and Thorbjornsen while having to stave off TGL teammate Fitzpatrick until the very end. It all came to a head on his final putt.
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“I just about fell apart,” Young said of the 16-incher to win. “I couldn’t get my line to point anywhere near the hole, and I went and hit it anyway.”
Another difference in his two wins? His family was in attendance – wife Kelsey, sons Henry and John, and daughter Vivienne.
It just so happened that the Wyndham was one of three weeks last season that Young’s family didn’t travel with him, so they celebrated the first win 2,500 miles away at home.
As the sun set over TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course, the three little ones ran to join their Dad on the 18th green. Henry and John were distracted by the drone flying over head; Vivienne was barefoot in her mom’s arms.
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“That’s something I’ll remember for a long time,” Young said of the moment, as the biggest win of his career so far sunk in. “There’s a lot going on out there. My kids are more interested in the drone than the trophy, which I think is a really nice bit of perspective on a day like today.”
It took 94 starts for Young to get his first win on Tour; it only took 11 to get his second.
Between them, Young made his first Ryder Cup appearance. Even though the U.S. lost, the experience was pivotal in teaching him how he handles nerves and what he can do in spite of them.
The past year has seen the 28-year-old’s career pick up steam. He brought one of his best friends, Kyle Sterbinsky, on as his caddie in May 2025. That could have been a catalyst for everything that has happened since.
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“I think we keep getting better,” Young said of Sterbinsky.
Young isn’t huge on setting goals. Instead, he’s been breaking things up by milestone. One of those was Bethpage Black; the next one is Augusta.
“My mind for the first part of this season is preparing for the Masters,” Young said. “So my goal is to be in contention as much as possible before that.
“This tournament certainly has a major feel; The Players is an unbelievable event. I feel like if anything, I mean, it’s the best possible prep you could ask for [ahead of] our first major of the season.”
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During his press conference Sunday night, Young mentioned focusing on where his feet. It’s a grounding technique that pulls you back to yourself when moments get too big. In a few week’s time, Young’s feet will be taking him down Magnolia Lane.
With Georgia on his mind, maybe the next win isn’t so far away.
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