First-timer Cameron Young comes in hot after first round
Cameron Young played one of the best rounds of his (so far) short, three-year professional career when he carded a five-under par, 67,to take an early lead at the 47th annual Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
Forget the fact that the 25-year-old has never played in the tournament. Forget the fact that this is Jack Nicklaus’s tournament and the stakes are high every year for every golfer who tees it up just to say they’ve had the privilege of playing the GOAT’s course.
“To have the opportunity to play here, at his playground, is awesome. It’s a place I’ve watched on TV for years and to get to play this golf course is amazing,” said Young.
With only two wins under his belt in professional play, both coming on the Korn Ferry Tour two years ago, the world’s 30th-ranked golfer who sits 12th in the FedEx Cup standings is ready to make his mark.
“I just hit a bunch of good shots early and made kind of the crucial little saves to kind of keep the momentum going with some pars,” he said.
“Coming in, we knew (the course) was going to be in a really good shape and it was probably going to be hard (especially) when we got here on Monday and the greens were like concrete, it was a little scary. Thankfully, they had a little rain last night so it wasn’t quite as hard.”
Two crucial saves were birdieing two of the last three holes including knocking down a near 30-foot putt on par-4, No. 9 to give him the 67.
Young started Thursday’s round on No. 10 at The Muirfield Village Golf Club and blistered the back by going bogey-free which included three birdies as well as an eagle on par-5, No. 15 for a five-under, 31.
After the turn, he bogeyed No. 1 after plunking his tee shot into the right-side bunker and his second shot fell short of the green. He then put his third shot almost seven feet past the hole and missed the par putt by nearly 10 feet but was able to knock down the three-and-a-half foot bogey putt to somewhat salvage the hole.
He parred the next four but bogeyed again, this time at No. 6 after slightly hooking his tee shot into the rough above the left-side fairway bunker. His second shot then sailed 65 feet above the hole into the primary rough. His third shot landed nearly 20 feet below the hole and his par putt came to within a foot of the cup but stopped short.
“I just kind of feel like I didn’t get much out of it for a few holes there in the middle.”
But that was his last bogey of the day as he scrapped back in the final three holes to birdie par-5, No. 7 and par-4, No. 9, knocking down a 27-footer on the last hole. If he wouldn’t have done that, his round may not have felt so good given the fact he was sitting comfortably in the lead at the turn.
“To have something worse than five (on the last hole) when I was five-under through (the first nine), to have shot a three or four (under par) would have been a little disappointing given that start.”
And finally, forget the fact that Young was not disappointed when Jack didn’t even know who he was when the two exchanged short, yet courteous pleasantries a few years ago.
“I think I met him very briefly at the U.S. Open in 2019. I’m sure he wouldn’t remember,” Young said with a smile. “He was walking at me and I said, ‘Hi, I’m Cameron.’ And he was very nice and said, ‘Hello’, and kind of moved on. But I was a nobody, I just got out of college. So that’s really the only time I’ve been around him.”
After today’s performance, it’s a safe bet that Nicklaus knows who Young is now.
Young tees off at noon on Friday in the second set alongside Camilo Villegas and Scott Stallings.