Imagine standing on the 72nd hole at The Players Championship late on a Sunday afternoon, having just tied for the lead. You have just birdied the infamous, diabolical island green to tie for the lead, and you are facing a tee shot with water on the left, and trees and pine needles on the right- oh, and you hit your drive in the water the day before.
Cameron Young did not have to imagine. He looked at his feet, and focused on the moment, be in the moment. Freddie Mercury and Queen are blasting “Under Pressure” the iconic 1981 rock song in his head.
He backs off, takes a deep breath, and blasts a 375 yard drive down the right side of the fairway- the longest drive ever recorded in the “trackman” era, leaving him with 100 yards to the green—now the theme from “Rocky” is playing in his head, or “Eye of the Tiger” as the crowd chants USA, USA and a mini-Ryder Cup breaks out as Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick pushes his drive right into the pine needles.
Oh my, lions, tigers and bears. The 2026 Players Championship had it all. Drama. Ludvig Aberg had the lead on Sunday and went down like the Hindenburg with two balls in the water on the back nine.
Matt Fitzpatrick was charging to the lead, Young was lurking. Xander Schauffele was even making a move.
One shot behind on the tee at Pete Dyes Island green, designed to provide opportunities for greatness or failure on the closing holes. Young’s shot found the green, and somehow, he curled in a putt for birdie to tie the lead.
Can’t we go to commercial?! No. Let’s go to the 18th and watch Young two putt to win the Championship and the $4,500,000 purse, his second win in seven months after earning his first Tour victory at the 2025 Wyndam Championship—and being one of the few real U.S. Team standouts at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
The winner of The Players Championship this year receives $4,500,000 from a $25 million total purse. In addition to the top prize, Young will earn 750 FedEx Cup points, a five-year PGA Tour exemption, a three-year invitation to The Masters, and three-year exemptions to the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship.
Matt Fitzpatric, the 2022 U.S. Open Champion took second place and pocketed $2,725,000.
Young was trading around +3300 at the 2026 Players Championship to win the tournament. He won by one stroke on Sunday with a 4- under 68.
With all of this going on, Sudarshan Yellamaraju is suddenly the early leader in the clubhouse – finishing the tournament tied for 5th place. His odds to win were +50000 to +67500 (meaning a $10 bet could potentially return over $5,000 – $6,750). He is scheduled to play in the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida this week.
He was born in India, raised in Canada and is ranked 216th in the world rankings. He is a Tour rookie. What’s more, he learned to play golf by watching YouTube videos! You can’t make this stuff up.
Cameron Young said “I’m generally pretty hard on myself, and I think a lot of people that are good at what they do expect a lot of themselves. So, I think that while it might not be the best thing for performing at your highest level, those expectations are also something that drives you to be good.
“I kind of am starting to learn to maybe let go a little bit, and kind of just focus on where my feet are.”
After the 2026 Players Championship, our feet are off the ground. When they come back down, we’ll process and further appreciate the drama, the joy, and the reality of staying where your feet are in the moment. Wow, what a show it was!
The 2026 Valspar Championship is this week at Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Purchase 2026 Valspar Championship tickets directly through the official tournament website or Ticketmaster.
Viktor Hovland is the defending Champion and will be in the field along with Matt Fitzpatrick, Jacob Bridgeman, Brooks Koepka, Luke Clanton, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and many others. We will see you there.
The 90th edition of The Masters is in 23 days. Start planning your viewing party now. As they say, a tradition like no other.
Enjoy your golf.
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