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 ShotLink tracking began in 2004.
A few shots later, his playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick would bogey, setting up Young’s winning par putt.
The 18th hole has been a round-wrecker all week. Young himself was a victim on Saturday when his tee shot found the water. Just 24 hours later, tied with Fitzpatrick at 13 under, he needed 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 standing 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 behind Round 3 leader Ludvig Åberg, who was 13 under. By Sunday evening, they had switched scores – Young won at 13 under, while Åberg finished T-5 at nine under.
Åberg was holding steady until the back nine, when disaster struck. Back-to-back water balls at the par-5 11th and par-4 12th led to a bogey and double bogey, effectively eliminating the Swede from contention.
Michael Thorbjornsen, playing with Åberg in the final pairing, suffered an even worse fate. He entered the round one shot ahead of Young but went from one under to three over between holes three and four – a water ball contributing to a devastating quadruple bogey. He finished with a 5-over 77, dropping to five under overall and T-22.
This win felt completely different than Young’s first Tour victory seven months ago at the Wyndham Championship.
There, he converted a sizable lead with little pressure. Here, he chased down the leaders while holding off TGL teammate Fitzpatrick until the very end. It all came down to his final putt.
“I just about fell apart,” Young said of the 16-inch tap-in to win. “I couldn’t get my line to point anywhere near the hole, and I went and hit it anyway.”
Another key difference? His family was there this time – wife Kelsey, sons Henry and John, and daughter Vivienne.
The Wyndham happened to be one of three weeks last season when Young’s family didn’t travel with him, so they celebrated his first win 2,500 miles away at home.
As the sun set over the Stadium Course, the three little ones ran to join their dad on the 18th green. Henry and John were distracted by the drone flying overhead; Vivienne was barefoot in her mom’s arms.
“That’s something I’ll remember for a long time,” Young said as the biggest win of his career 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 those victories, 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 accomplish despite them.
The past year has seen the 28-year-old’s career accelerate. He brought one of his best friends, Kyle Sterbinsky, on as his caddie in May 2025. That move might have catalyzed everything that’s happened since.
“I think we keep getting better,” Young said of his partnership with Sterbinsky.
Young isn’t big on setting traditional goals. Instead, he breaks things up by milestone. One of those was Bethpage Black; the next 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, it’s the best possible prep you could ask for ahead of our first major of the season.”
During his press conference Sunday night, Young mentioned focusing on where his feet are – a grounding technique that pulls you back to yourself when moments get too big. In a few weeks, those feet will be taking him down Magnolia Lane.
With Georgia on his mind, maybe the next win isn’t so far away.
