The wait was long, but for Cameron Young, the payoff has been nothing short of spectacular. After six grueling seasons on the PGA Tour, the world No. 3 finally broke through for his first victory last August in Greensboro. Now, just two months later, he's added two more titles to his resume—The Players Championship in March and a wire-to-wire win at Doral two weeks ago, following a strong third-place finish at the Masters.
"Any time you have to wait for something, it makes it better," Young said. "It would be harder if I had won a couple times early and then went a long time without winning. To have gotten through what was at times quite frustrating and come out on the other side of it a better golfer and have my name on a couple trophies to show for it definitely feels good."
The 29-year-old American has also turned heads for a different reason: his choice of golf ball. Young has been competing with a ball that conforms to the R&A and USGA's new distance rollback standards, set to take effect in 2028. While others may be concerned about losing yardage, Young sees it as an advantage.
"This ball is easier to control with the irons, it doesn't spin as much, and it just allows me to be better with my distance control just because it's more consistent," he explained.
Young's journey to the top hasn't been without its near-misses. He was runner-up at the 2022 British Open and shared third at the 2022 PGA Championship. Now, as he heads into the showdown at Aronimink, he feels his game is in top form.
"I've been pretty solid across the board," Young said. "I've done a really good job taking advantage of the opportunities I've had to finish high and fortunate to win a couple times."
Interestingly, Young's focus has shifted from chasing distance to mastering control and shotmaking. He first tested the new ball during a Titleist facility session nearly two years ago, with no idea it would become a game-changer.
"I hit it during a ball test, close to two years ago and didn't know anything about it," Young recalled. "As things progressed, I was able to test it last year at Wyndham, able to put that in play, and it has been there since."
Even when he learned about the ball's conformity to future standards, it didn't sway his decision. "At no point was that a consideration. It was just really me trying to optimize my golf, and it's the ball that seems to work best for me."