Hero World Challenge: 'Nearly man' Cameron Young seizes the day

ALBANY (BAHAMAS): The cameras were on Cameron Young as he drilled in three birdies in a row after an opening par. It was time to seize the day for golf’s nearly man, who has had seven runner-up finishes since his rookie year of 2022. He has seen the highs; he has seen the lows. He shot a 59 at the Travelers in June, the 13th golfer on the PGA Tour to reach the magic number.
“I feel like one day doesn’t necessarily warrant like a crowning achievement of a career,” Young had said then, seeking a breakthrough victory.
But that moment never arrived. Instead, there was an embarrassing meltdown on the final-day 14th hole at Rocket Mortgage Classic a week later. Young had pressed the head of the driver into the ground out of frustration, and broke the shaft.
The 2022 British Open runner-up had to complete the round without the club. On Thursday at the Hero World Challenge, he kept his eye on the ball and driver in place, to tee up a bogey-free 8-under 64 in the first round. “To me, this kind of feels like the start of a new season in a way,” said the 27-year-old, who last played in August. It was a time for renewal for other golfers too, most notably World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler who introduced a ‘claw’ putting grip. It was something he had tabled for the end of season and Tiger’s holiday event seemed a right start.
“There’s just something different about using it in competition. The closer I get to the hole, inside 15-foot range, that’s where I’m seeing the benefits,” Scheffler, who was three strokes behind Young at 5-under 67 in tied-third, said.
Sharing third place with the defending champion was his playing partner Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia, both American players of Indian origin. Theegala’s 44-foot chip-in birdie on the 10th was the shot of the day as he dropped an early bogey but came back strongly with six birdies. The left-handed Bhatia felt right at home with the strong support, and the two bogeys he conceded were forgotten among a flurry of seven birdies.
“I feel like most of the volunteers know me, and the fact there’s an Indian sponsor is pretty cool. It’s quiet out here, but you still get that warm feeling,” said the 22-year-old Californian.
With the northeast trade winds taking a break, conditions at the Ernie Els-designed Albany GC were benign and that helped two-time Major winner Justin Thomas test “his longer driver.” It worked perfectly on the back-nine, producing six birdies. His 6-under 66 placed him in second place, two shots behind Young.