Young Wins Players, Shares Heartwarming Family Moments

Cameron Young Bags Players Championship, Opens Up on Family and Focus

Cameron Young is still riding high after a massive win at The Players Championship, a tournament often called the “fifth major.” He joined The Rich Eisen Show to talk about his big victory, his family, and what makes him tick on the golf course.

Giants Fan from Westchester, Yankees and Rangers Supporter

Young revealed he’s not the most plugged-in sports fan these days, but growing up in Westchester, New York, he was a Giants fan. He also roots for the New York Yankees and the New York Rangers. However, with three young children at home – ages one, three, and four – his TV time is limited, making it tough to keep up with sports as much as he’d like.

A Special Connection with MLB Commissioner

A notable detail is the Major League Baseball logo on Young’s shirt collar. He explained that his father, a head pro at Sleepy Hollow in New York for over 20 years, has a long-standing friendship with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Manfred was one of Young’s first sponsors, asking him to wear the logo when he had no status or money. This has led to a great seven-year relationship.

“He was really one of my first couple sponsors. Right out of the gates, he asked if I would wear the logo and given that I had no status anywhere at all. And really no no money to my name. I said, ‘Absolutely, sir. Whatever you’d like to do.'”

Family’s Reaction Puts Things in Perspective

Young shared a touching story about his four-year-old son, Henry, coming to see him after the win. He described the moment as incredibly real, admitting it almost brought him to tears. While it was the biggest professional moment of his life, seeing his son’s pure joy just to see him, regardless of the win, grounded him. He realized his kids don’t care about the trophy; they’re just happy he’s home.

“It was honestly really a pretty cool moment for me and I think it it took something like that to really almost take some weight off my shoulders. You know, we spend so much time trying to be good at golf and working at it that you know, we forget, you know, what things truly are important sometimes.”

Mastering Tough Holes with a Clear Mind

When asked about his mindset on challenging holes like 17 and 18 at TPC Sawgrass, Young emphasized sticking to his process and focusing on execution. He explained that for the 17th hole, he had a clear objective and a good visual, continuing his focus on execution. On the 18th, he admitted to having some intrusive thoughts about a mistake he made there on Saturday, but ultimately told himself he had to hit the best shot of his life.

The Science Behind the Shot

Young described his visualization process, which starts with the numbers – wind, how far the ball will balance, and carry distance. Once he has those figures, he focuses on the feel needed to create the shot and then what it should look like. He was pleased that his tee shot on 18 came off exactly as he pictured, with the result matching his execution.

A 375-Yard Drive That Surprised Everyone

His tee shot on the 18th hole ended up an astonishing 375 yards. Young admitted he didn’t know the exact distance until later. He recalled looking at his yardage book and noticing they weren’t far from the 400-yard mark, which he and his caddy found amusing. He’s used to hitting much longer clubs into that green, so the ball’s final resting place was unexpected, though he was happy to have a clean shot at the green.

Post-Win Priorities: Family First

After finishing, Young’s first priority was seeing his family – his wife and three kids – and briefly his parents. He cherished a quiet few minutes with them before facing the media and other obligations. He also mentioned that Justin Thomas waited to congratulate him, which he found very kind.

Sharing the Victory with His Father

Young spoke about the significance of sharing his biggest professional win with his father, who he calls an essential part of his team. His dad puts in countless hours helping with practice, statistics, and planning. While they haven’t had a long, deep conversation about the win yet due to the immediate travel and busy schedule, Young looks forward to sitting down with his parents later in the week.

“He puts in so many hours on my behalf, both on the course, in practice, away from the course, looking at statistics and trying to do some planning for me. He’s an essential part of what I do.”

Favorite Hole-in-One Stories

When asked about his favorite hole-in-one, Young recalled one at the US Open. He was struggling, making bogeys and a quad, but then birdied, aced a hole, and birdied two more, narrowly missing the cut. He also remembered his father making one at Sleepy Hollow when he was 12 or 13. His father, a casual golfer who had made 11 or 12 holes-in-one in his career, simply moved on after the shot, which Young found memorable.

The Trophy and His On-Course Demeanor

Young showed off his Players Championship trophy, describing it as being kept in a box for safekeeping, comparing it to a “golf Oscar.” He also addressed comments about his serious demeanor on the course. He stated that if that focused approach helped him win, he plans to maintain it. He clarified that he’s not unhappy or miserable but has found that this focused mindset is the most effective way for him to play his best golf.

“If the way that I carried myself yesterday led to winning a Players Championship, I think it’s going to be my goal to be like that. I don’t know. It’s just one of those things. I find that that’s the way that I can perform the best.”

Eyes on Augusta

Looking ahead, Young confirmed that the Masters at Augusta National is a major goal for the year. He views The Players Championship as excellent preparation for playing under pressure in a major championship. While Augusta is on his mind, he’s focused on his next event in Houston and taking things one day at a time to prepare for Augusta.

Source: Cameron Young shares his FAVORITE hole-in-one story 👀 | The Rich Eisen Show (YouTube)