American Cameron Young finally broke through to capture the PGA Tour’s The Players championship by one stroke over Matt Fitzpatrick today in a pressure-packed finish that saw the leaderboard changing what seemed like every minute during the back nine.
Sweden’s tall, twenty-six year old Ludvig Aberg (pronounced Oberg) started the day at 13 under par with a two stroke lead over 24-year old Michael Thorbjornsen. They played together in the last duo-pairing. After ten holes today, Aberg was still at 13 under with a two stroke lead while Thorbjornsen had dropped out with a quadruple bogey.
Aberg and Thorbjornsen Collapse
All week, Aberg had had total control of his driving as one of the leaders with the most fairways hit. But then he hit two wild metalwood shots in the water on the 11th and 12th holes to cease his chances of winning and eventually finished tied for 5th. Xander Schaufelle had rallied at the end to finish 11 under as the leader in the clubhouse.
Pressure-Packed Drama: Young and Fitzpatrick
The drama then came down to two players who were paired together in the second to last group: Cameron Young and Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2022 U.S. Open and possessor of the deft touch both around and on the greens.
When Young and Fitzpatrick came to the treacherous little par three 17th hole, Matt was leading the tournament at 13 under par, and Cameron was one stroke behind him. They were the only two players who realistically could win the tournament.
The Treacherous Par-Three 17th Hole at Sawgrass
The Players Championship is played every year at the Pete Dye designed Sawgrass Course at TPC in Ponte Vedra, Florida. It is owned by the very successful PGA Tour and serves as its headquarters.
The 17th hole at Sawgrass is a true icon in professional golf. It is a par three about 140 yards long to the center an elevated, island green. Most pros hit a an easy nine iron or a gap wedge to it. The pin was placed at its toughest position, as it is every year on the last round, for what many call “the fifth major.” It was about ten feet from the right side of the green and ten feet from the back side of the green, online and just over a small sand bunker. Missing the green on those two sides results in a baptized ball. The green is elevated about eight feet above the water, with wooden planks descending straight down.
Matt played first and hit a safe shot near the center of the green about thirty feet from the hole. Young then played an excellent yet risky shot even with the hole and ten feet away. Matt putted close and made his par three. The pressure was intense on Cameron.
Dark-bearded, handsome, and stoic-looking Cameron Young was at that time a two-time winner on the PGA Tour. He had a history of being in the hunt to win on the last round of many other PGA Tour tournaments. But it seemed he was always snake bit with the magic wand—the flat stick putter. He would miss so many short putts to lose.
But not this time. Cameron stroked a beauty right at the middle of the cup as it barely fell over the front lip to register a birdie two to tie him with Matt at 13 under par.
The Narrow, Dogleg, Par-Four 18th Hole
The 18th hole at Sawgrass is the toughest hole on the course, making the last two holes there truly a great finish for golf fans to watch in person or on TV. It is a par four almost 500 years long that doglegs left around a lake that extends from the tee to the green. It is easy try to avoid the water by going through the dogleg into the pine needle beds and pine trees to the right of the fairway.
Young, with the honors due to his birdie on the 17th, hit a perfect drive across the edge of the water that stopped on the right side of the narrow dogleg fairway. Cameron Young is a long hitter, but you’d never know it by just watching him swing. He has a very slow swing with a huge delay at the top of backswing, called a “two-piece swing.” It is similar to that of the legendary Sam Swing, called Slammin’ Sam because he also was a long hitter. Cameron’s drive on that 18th hole today measured a whopping 375 yards, twenty yards farther than any other drive today. Fitzpatrick then drove straight through the dogleg and into the pine trees.
Fitzpatrick then played his layup second shot to about twenty yards short of the green with perhaps a fifty-yard pitch shot to the hole. Young then hit his wedge second shot to the very back edge of the green, about twelve feet from the hole.
Matt Fitzpatrick plays right-handed golf, but not with the short game, for which he has a deft touch. He hits all of his pitches, chips, and putts cross-handed. And he played a masterful pitch for his third shot to six feet right of the cup.
Cameron Young then could have won the tournament, but missed his putt right to settle for a par four and remain 13 under par for the tournament.
Matt then miscalculated by playing for some break right to left on his six footer. It didn’t break and his missed to the right about an inch or more, giving playing partner Cameron Young the championship.
In the traditional, outdoors, presentation ceremony for this elite championship that probably has the strongest field in any pro golf tournament worldwide, even including the four majors, Cameron Young’s wife Kelly and their three young children were there to celebrate with him. Two of the youngsters ran out there during the presentation to hug their dad in a heartwarming scene. And in the interview, Ludvig Aberg was truly a gentleman who took it hard the chin with a smile.
Other Tidbits
It was good to see five-time major winner Brooks Koepka (T-13th) back on the PGA Tour this week after a four-year hiatus on the Saudi-backed, breakaway pro tour LIV Golf. And #1 pro golfer Scottie Scheffler, a prominent member of the PGA Tour Bible Study, didn’t have his usual form this week, finishing out of the top ten, tied for 22nd.
In conclusion, the PGA Tour on TV today looked ever bit its part as the greatest pro game on grass.
[See Kermit’s new book, Christ on the PGA Tour (1965-1982), available at amazon.com.]
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