Cameron Young left the course after his first-ever round at The Open as an improbable event leader. He shot a bogey-free round and carded a sterling 64 to put him at 8 under for the tournament.
Young’s performance on the course was certainly strong, but his performance off it may have been just as good.
After his round, Young was asked an odd question about his rise to prominence on the PGA Tour. Specifically, the reporter referenced Young going from “the streets of New York” to being a contender at another major championship.
“Cameron, a Fordham prep school in the Bronx isn’t especially known for producing professional golfers, maybe more basketball players,” the reporter said, per Andy Johnson. “Can you talk a little bit about maybe an improbable journey from the streets of New York somewhere to — granted, you went to Wake Forest, but to the links of St. Andrews? It doesn’t happen every day.”
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Young responded candidly to the query.
I think streets of New York is probably a stretch.
The 25-year-old went on to further explain that his prep school was on the Fordham University campus. He described it as “beautiful.”
Additionally, Young explained that his rise to become the 32nd-ranked golfer in the world wasn’t a surprise either. Why? Because his father, David Young, is a PGA Tour professional at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
“I lived on the lower course out there,” Young explained. “I took the train to school, but I also took the train back home to go practice.”
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Indeed, the elder Young helped shape his son into an excellent golfer. They worked together to hone Cameron’s swing, and that has helped him enjoy a breakout rookie campaign on the PGA Tour in 2022. He was in contention at the PGA Championship and is now out in front at The Open.
Still, despite his quick rise, Young wanted to make it clear to reporters that his story shouldn’t be considered an unlikely success story.
“It might sound a little improbable, but I’ve been around golf my whole life,” he said. “That’s just kind of what I do.”