Cameron Young wasted no time making a statement at the Cadillac Championship, firing a bogey-free, 8-under-par 64 to seize a one-shot lead over Jordan Spieth and Alex Smalley in Thursday's opening round outside Miami. The young star's flawless performance set the tone for a high-stakes return to Trump National Doral's legendary "Blue Monster" course.
The PGA Tour is back at Doral for the first time since 2016, and the stakes couldn't be higher. This $20 million signature event features no 36-hole cut, meaning every shot counts from the very first tee. Young, now ranked No. 4 in the world, carried momentum from his biggest career win just six weeks ago at The Players Championship in Florida.
Despite hitting only 50% of fairways, Young showed why he's one of the game's rising stars. He ranked third in strokes gained around the green and putting, draining a stunning 41 1/2-foot putt on the par-3 fourth and a 25-footer on the par-3 15th. With four birdies on each nine, he proved that precision and creativity can overcome any challenge the Blue Monster throws your way.
Jordan Spieth, one of the few players in the field with prior experience at Doral, looked like his old self. He opened with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine, then added four more birdies against two bogeys on the back. His 65 is his lowest round of the year, and it puts him in prime position to chase his first victory since the 2022 RBC Heritage. For fans of the game, seeing Spieth in contention again is a thrilling reminder of his championship pedigree.
Alex Smalley earned his spot through the "Aon Swing 5" program, which rewards recent performance in standard tour events. He made the most of the opportunity, ranking second in strokes gained approaching the green while carding eight birdies against just one bogey. It's the kind of Cinderella story that makes golf so compelling.
Canadian Nick Taylor sits alone in fourth after a bogey-free 6-under 66, while Colombia's Nico Echavarria is fifth at 5-under 67. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, making his first career start at Doral, got off to a hot start with three birdies in his first five holes but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11, settling for a 1-under 71.
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour Champions, Stewart Cink birdied his final hole to share the lead with Germany's Alex Cejka after the first round of the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama. Cink, who won the Senior PGA Championship just two weeks ago, is already proving he's a force on the senior circuit.
With the Blue Monster back in the spotlight and a star-studded leaderboard taking shape, this week's Cadillac Championship is shaping up to be a must-watch event. Whether you're rooting for Young's rising star, Spieth's comeback story, or Smalley's underdog run, one thing is certain: the action is just getting started.