The Players: Cameron Young ‘had it all’ with Sunday win and how PGA Tour flagship event returns at TPC Sawgrass | Golf News

Last week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass was amazing.

There was drama, atmosphere and excitement with thrills and spills from start to finish. While many of the game’s best players made up the actors, the star of the show was the theater.

This stunning creation by architect Pete Dye is one of the greatest stages in world golf, and one that the PGA Tour is rightly proud to be its flagship event, one that will continue to grow.

What amazes me is the way the PGA Tour sets up the courses for most of its tournaments. Similar tests are conducted every week. There is thick rough around the green and small rough in the fairway that causes the ball to roll into the bunker instead of going into it. In my opinion, this staple is so familiar that it becomes boring to look at.

TPC Sawgrass has some decent bunkers, but the green apron has a runoff area that creates a variety of pitches and chips. Last week’s rough was set at 4 inches, which is enough for a penalty. The four par 5s were reachable, but only if the tee shot hit the fairway.

The undulating greens accepted only a quality approach, so it’s no wonder we enjoyed enchanting views and glorious sights. The PGA Tour needs to address this and introduce diversity to its venues. We’re all too familiar with seeing the same set-up week after week, and it creates the same type of golfer.

A glorious Sunday in Sawgrass

The result of The Players was everything you could hope for. For most of Sunday’s back nine, overnight leader Ludwig Øberg got wet on the 11th and 12th, leading to a break in the lead and a swapping.

A year ago, Matthew Fitzpatrick was in the depths of despair as he dropped to No. 80 in the world rankings, but a change of coach and a strong finish to 2025 combined to restore his faith and confidence.

Xander Schauffele looked like a 2024 player, but if confirmation was needed, Robert McIntyre admitted that he is a player who enjoys the big stage and accepts pressure with passion.

A new name appeared in the form of Sudarshan Yelamaraju (pronunciation is still under study). His weekend scores were impressive 66 and 68.

With Fitzpatrick holding a narrow lead with two games remaining, it looked like England were on course for their first win at The Players, but a moment of brilliance from Cameron Young brought an emotional finale to a close.

In my commentary, I likened Young to Tom Watson. In the early ’70s, Tom was known as a “bridesmaid,” often in contention but never crossing the finish line. That changed at the Western Open in 1974, and his first major tournament was at Carnoustie a year later.

Winning has become a habit for Watson, and he hopes the same will happen for Young, who had seven runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour before making his breakthrough at the Wyndham Championship last fall.

Young in action with The Players

The tee shot and putt on the 17th par-3 were great. I wasn’t sure about my final driver choice, but that was quickly over after an amazing 375 yards.

As Fitzpatrick realized, the final competition at Sawgrass is one of the most difficult on the PGA Tour with no safety lines, but what happened on the green showed why our sport is so highly regarded. It reminded me of the “concession” at Royal Birkdale during the Ryder Cup when Jack Nicklaus raised Tony Jacklin’s marker to tie the contest.

Young’s ball, which had just missed a shot at winning, flew several inches over the hole. I almost hit him, but he held it tight and marked me. This was not for his benefit, but as a sign of respect and consideration for his fellow competitors.

For most of the afternoon, four Europeans were in the top five. Young’s charge ignited the home fans — many of whom were, of course, expecting an American victory — but Fitzpatrick struggled with the fans all along the fairway.

By reaching for his marker, Fitzpatrick held the par putt and had the best chance to lead The Players into the playoffs. If he had holed out, it would have taken a while for the gallery to settle down.

When the Englishman’s putt slipped, it was the first time in more than 30 years that a winner had been announced before the formal tap-in. When Young marked it, it was a display of extraordinary sportsmanship and one that allowed for full awareness of what was going on in his mind.

It didn’t work out for Fitzpatrick, but there’s no doubt he greatly appreciated the gesture. The heartwarming sight didn’t end there. Before leaving the green and signing his card, Fitzpatrick walked over to Young’s family to congratulate him and hugged Cam’s mother.

This year’s edition of The Players was one of the best. Scottie Scheffler has dominated the top for the past four years with his outstanding golf, but the sport needs other challengers to make the game as competitive as we want it to be.

While he has a real opponent in Young, Fitzpatrick is back in his element and Oberg will learn a lot from the final round. All of this points to an interesting major season just three weeks away.

Augusta’s elegance and beauty are at your fingertips.

Who will win the Masters? Watch the opening match of this year’s men’s major live on Sky Sports. Rory McIlroy’s title defense at the Masters will be broadcast live exclusively on Sky Sports Golf from April 9th ​​to 12th. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.