It was far from your typical championship Sunday for Cameron Young at the Cadillac Championship. The day began with a run-in with the Secret Service and ended with a handshake from President Donald Trump—a fitting cap to what Young himself described as a "unique" experience.
Young entered the final round at Trump National Doral with a commanding six-shot lead. But the drama started early. On the second hole, he called a penalty on himself after accidentally causing his ball to move before his approach shot. "Your heart sinks when you see it move," Young admitted. "But it moved, and that's part of what golf's about." He responded by sinking a clutch 13-foot par putt, and from there, no one—not even World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who finished second—got closer than six shots. Young cruised to his third career win and second of the season.
But what made this Sunday truly unforgettable wasn't just the dominant play. It was the presence of a sitting U.S. President. President Trump attended the final round of the PGA Tour's return to his Florida championship course, which meant heightened security and a completely different atmosphere. For Young, that meant an unexpected encounter with the Secret Service to start his day, and a memorable exchange with Trump at the end—complete with a handshake, a thumbs-up, and a brief chat.
"Not at all. No," Young said when asked if it felt like a typical Sunday. "Once you get out there, you're doing your job. But everything leading up to that—the place is obviously crawling with Secret Service, security, and police. It has a definitely different feel."
That different feel started early. Young tried to enter the clubhouse through the side door he'd used all week, only to be stopped by two Secret Service agents who informed him the entrance was closed due to Trump's presence. "So there are little things like that that are obviously different with the President here," Young said. "It changed the rhythm of the day a little bit to start."
Between the weather delays, the self-imposed penalty, the presidential security, and the dominant win, Young's Cadillac Championship Sunday was anything but ordinary. For a player who thrives on composure under pressure, it was just another day—with a few extra layers of intrigue.
