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Cameron Young’s first play on the Old Course at St Andrews was one of his greatest moments in golf. The latest one was even better.
In his debut at the British Open, Young lapped the course in a breeze, leading Rory McIlroy by two shots and finishing with a long two putt birdie with eight under 64.
Young, whose father is a sleepy hollow in New York and a longtime professional, first came to Scotland in 2010 when he was 13 years old. He played some of the legendary courses in the area — St Andrews, Carnoustie, North Berwick — he didn’t know it at the time and he would even pursue a career in golf.
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“Whenever we step into the first tee or the 18th green, we can’t hide how special it is,” Young said. “And reaching the open championship was certainly a goal, and being here first is a bit special to me.”
I don’t even know if he did his best in the opening round. His tee shot didn’t always go where he was looking. But in the short time he returned to St Andrews, he learned enough about where to go and how to get along with the course centuries ago.
Young went out at 31. He drove the green on the 12th of par 4, pitched back to 8 feet and holed it for Birdie to reach a 7-under par. Record scores in St Andrews on a good day for scoring were within reach.
However, he put in three pars on the 14th. His 10-foot birdie chance on the 15th spun out of the cup. He missed another good chance from 15 feet on the next hole.
Still, the 25-year-old New Yorker had little complaints. He loves Lynx Golf.
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“Honestly, I don’t think I understand that much,” Young said. “You can play here every day for a year and just grab the surface of what you know about this place. 4-5 days because the golf course has so many humps and boundaries and few nuances. I didn’t know. I had to prepare. “
What about that trip? He still has great memories, but he’s not at the top of St Andrews.
“My dad asked for permission to play from the back tee. If I remember correctly, I think that’s what you have to do,” he said. “So when the R & A building came out to hit the first tee shot right there, there were probably a lot of R & A members watching, and I’m glad I didn’t know. I’m nervous. I’m sure it would have been in my heart. “
Currently, it is difficult to detect the pulse from Young. He has been in the game long enough to notice that he doesn’t go too far. This is an ideal start, and for now, that’s it.
“I’m happy to have shot 64. As far as I know, I’m happy to be leading the British Open, but I’m sure I’ll be feeling the same after an hour,” he said.
Young isn’t happy because he hasn’t won, but the rookie year on the PGA Tour is a great year. He was just in the top 500 in the world a year ago. He finished 32nd in the Top 3 four times, including the PGA Championship, which finished one shot from the playoffs at Southern Hills.
Now he can only expect another chance in the last major of the year.
His father, David Young, is a Master Professional of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. He considered a trip to Scotland important for his son to find his true passion for golf.
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“It rained like the first four days we were there. I have a picture of him wearing my rainwear up to his knees and getting wet,” said David Young in the PGA Championship. Said in. “I’m thinking,’After this trip, this kid will never want to play golf.’ But that was the exact opposite. It excited him.”