HE was Rookie of the 12 months in his first season on the PGA Tour, has earned greater than $US16 million in prizemoney, is likely one of the few golfers to have shot 59 in competitors, represented his nation in a Presidents Cup and is estimated to be value greater than $US17 million.
However you get the sturdy impression that Cameron Younger would commerce an excellent share of that if he might simply win a event on the PGA Tour, the place the 27-year-old American plies his commerce virtually solely.
He owns one of many sport’s most bitter-sweet accolades – the very best golfer to have by no means gained a event. Certainly, some say he may be the very best participant in historical past to haven’t gained on the world’s premier golf tour.
To be honest to the long-hitting New York native, Younger has really gained a golf occasion or two – simply not on the PGA Tour. In 2017 he turned the primary beginner to win the New York State Open, and the next 12 months claimed the Westchester Open.
Cameron Younger continues to be searching for his first win on the US PGA TOUR. – Photograph USGA
Younger, who was taught to play the sport by his father David, a part-time skilled and the director of golf at Sleepy Hole Nation Membership in New York, turned professional in 2019 and, a 12 months later, Monday-qualified into the Korn Ferry Tour’s Pinnacle Financial institution Championship in Omaha, Nebraska, ending eleventh.
That gained him a begin within the following week’s occasion, the place he once more carried out effectively sufficient to play the subsequent week. He gained sufficient factors that season to safe particular standing on the Korn Ferry Tour and two wins there in 2021 noticed him end nineteenth on the Order of Advantage, which earned him a PGA Tour card for the 2021-22 season.
To say that he made an instantaneous impression could be an under-statement.
In his fifth begin he was runner-up within the Sanderson Farms Championship, and in February 2022 tied for second within the Genesis Invitational. Three months later he was third within the PGA Championship at Southern Hills after taking a double-bogey from the bunker on the sixteenth gap and lacking a playoff by a single stroke.
Then got here the Open at St Andrews, arguably Younger’s best achievement. He led with a first-round 64 and, on a gripping last day, shot 31 on the again 9, together with an eagle two on the final. The difficulty was that Cameron Smith shot 30, and beat him by a stroke.
That made 4 runner-up finishes for the rookie – he was additionally second within the 2022 Nicely Fargo Championship – and he’d go on to be runner-up once more within the Rocket Mortgage Traditional in late 2022.
These performances, and his exceptional consistency, noticed him make the US staff within the 2022 Presidents Cup and win the PGA Tour Rookie of the 12 months award with 94 % of the vote.
In 2023 Younger was runner-up within the Dell Applied sciences Matchplay Championship and completed seventh within the US Masters.
Final 12 months he shot 59 within the third spherical of the Vacationers Championship – simply the thirteenth time anyone has gone sub-60 in PGA Tour historical past – and was runner-up to Peter Malnati within the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort’s well-known Copperhead course.
That was his seventh runner-up end on tour. And nonetheless no win.
When requested after that occasion how he stays affected person whereas chasing that elusive first victory, Younger replied: “I haven’t actually. I’ve positively let it get to me at occasions.”
However he went on: “I’m in a very nice place mentally and I’m simply attempting to hit every shot the very best I can. I feel I’m dealing with my very own ideas very well and, for me, that’s a giant win whatever the end result.”
One man who is aware of what it’s prefer to wrestle for a primary victory is veteran David Duvall who, practically three a long time in the past, was a seven-time runner-up earlier than claiming his first PGA Tour win on the finish of his third season. He then went on to win 13 occasions over his subsequent 79 begins, together with the 2001 Open.
“When you realise as a participant that you simply’re doing every little thing you’ll be able to and also you don’t must do something totally different, it opens up the gates,” Duval mentioned. “You are feeling like it’s a must to win. However actually you’ve simply bought to play.”
That’s sound recommendation for a younger man who’s saddling up for his fourth 12 months on tour, already with an imposing report, however with the burden of expectations rising heavier with every occasion.
Not that it’s inflicting him any monetary stress.
He’s averaging prizemoney of about $US4 million a 12 months, and has sponsorship offers with Nike, Titleist, Gillette, Optus and the Seattle Seahawks, and an unique sponsorship settlement with Main League Basketball. Collectively his endorsements deliver him at the least as a lot because the prizemoney he earns.
Younger is ranked on this planet’s prime 40 professionals with a profession excessive within the mid-20s.
He’s not doing a lot fallacious. His scoring common in all of these runner-up finishes is slightly below 68. And, although he’s made the odd mistake in the previous few holes at occasions, there’s no query of him being a choker.
He’s simply not successful. However his flip will definitely come. Maybe as early as this 12 months. And you may’t assist however suppose it would simply open the floodgates.
Shut, however once more no cigar
Cameron Younger opened with a seven-under par spherical of 66 on the PGA TOUR’s season-opening Sentry event, was there or thereabouts on the leaderboard for a lot of the week, however once more he got here up quick in his quest for a primary tour victory.
Younger shot a four-round complete of 23-under across the par-73 Kapalua course, nevertheless such was the recent scoring all through the week, the American might solely end in a tie for eighth, 12 pictures behind winner Hideki Matsuyama who returned a record-breaking rating.
Curiously, for a participant recognised for the standard of his ball hanging, Younger relied on his quick sport within the PGA TOUR signature occasion, the stats rating him first in strokes gained across the inexperienced, first in putts per inexperienced in regulation and third in toes of putts made for the week.
