Cameron Young secured the biggest win of his career at the Players Championship on Sunday, edging out Matt Fitzpatrick in a nail-biting finish at Sawgrass. The American emerged triumphant after Fitzpatrick agonisingly missed a par putt on the 72nd hole, handing Young victory by one shot.
Fitzpatrick, who took a double bogey on the 18th on Saturday, found trouble again on the final hole when his tee shot sprayed right into pine straw. In contrast, Young smashed his drive 375 yards down the fairway, an advantage he did not waste. The only point in the tournament where Young led was the final hole on the final day.
“The nerves kicked in over an eight-inch putt on the last,” Young admitted. “The hole looked really small at that point.” However, the New Yorker had birdied the iconic 17th for three consecutive days. Fitzpatrick shrugged off the American crowd’s support for Young, comparing it favourably to the heckling he experienced at Bethpage with the European Ryder Cup team. “That was literally child’s play compared to Bethpage,” he said.
Ludvig Åberg, who started the day with a three-shot lead, collapsed to a 76 after finding water on the 11th and 12th holes. His back nine of 40 ended any hopes of victory. Robert MacIntyre was also in contention before finding water at the 16th, finishing fourth. Xander Schauffele birdied the last to take third, two shots behind Young’s 13-under-par total.
Rory McIlroy finished just inside the top 50 on level par. He has yet to decide whether to play another event before defending his Masters title in April. “I’ll see how my body feels,” McIlroy said.
