Farmingdale, NY – Wednesday before the Ryder Cup, Collin Morikawa became a pronounced question: which of the USA Stoic team would want to see the wild in a busy Ryder Cup environment?
He thought for a moment before setting in his response.
“I would like to see Cam Young just throw a massive fist pump on someone’s face. I would love him,” he said.
Four days later, he received his wish.
Young led the US team to Sunday bachelors, first going against Europe’s veteran fire, Justin Rose. He and his teammates started the day in a 12-5 hole, and in a race up to 14, Profit seemed out of the question, but salvation of dignity was still a worthy goal.
It was meaningful that Young was the first. Meaningful because of his New York links, which go deep; Not only Young grew up in Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County, but his first time in great time came to the New York State Open at Bethpage Black, which he counts among his favorite golf courses in the world.
It was meaningful because the last time the US played a Ryder cup, Young was left home. He ended up in 9th place in the list of qualifying points of 2023, but passed while no. 10, 12, 13 and 15 were elected; Keegan Bradley’s snub was documented on Netflix while Young’s was more anonymous, but no less painful. The fact that Bradley chose Young to represent the American side this time was worth something extra.
And it was significant because it reflected his position on this team. In the previous two days Young had proven to be the most suitable American player for this Ryder cup. He would have been sitting on the bench for the fourths of Friday’s opening, but came out shooting after the afternoon with four balls; He played both matches on Saturday and improved to 2-1-0. Because the team’s sessions were such a nightmare for his teammates, the 6-And-5 and 4-and-2 victories served as bright red spots. He let his clubs talk together with harassing partners Justin Thomas and Bryson Dechambeau. The results table, statistics and fans all saw the same thing: Young was playing as well as anyone in property. He won the first time on Sunday.
Young’s match against Rose started with a 25-foot noise for Birdie at no. 1 who sent a kick through the thousands lined the cords. But when Rose won no. 3 and 5, match 1 turned blue on the board – and after it, followed more blue. Justin Thomas 2 down. Bryson dechambeau 2 down. Scottie Scheffler 1 down. Patrick Cantlay 1 down. Five games were on the course, the US traveled in the five, and the show of horror of the local team was getting worse.
Then Young got hot. Birdie-PAR in 6-7 was enough to win both and to regain a 1-up lead. Another bird and a string of pars reached it at 3 to 12. After him, the friends of the Young team followed his lead; A red wave began to cleanse Bethpage.
“One kind of felt as if nothing could go wrong,” Young said.
But then OTHER USEFUL Things went wrong, one after the other.
“Justin Rose started doing some interesting things,” Young said. “He made me some strokes on me. And all of a sudden he just feels like I would just give it up.”
Rose made Birdie at 13. Birdie at 14. Birdie at 16. Suddenly he would be tied young, and this was where they remained going to the 18th team’s noises still stretched behind him, Thomas and Dechambeau and Scheffler assembling their respective returns. But given their unsafe position, the US needed any point they could.
Young hit the right path. He hit the green. He avoided a Miss Rose. And then he went up to a 12-foot for Birdie and the victory, took a final breath and sent it rolling into the end of the cup. Young’s pump would have made Morikawa proud.
“I’ve thought about having such a blow for a while,” Young said in an emotional interview after round. “The way things were in half under nine back today, I didn’t want that stroke – and then the way things were passing by 17, I was very grateful to have a chance there.”
He added this:
“This is the biggest event we have, really. There is no bigger phase to play, in my condition, a golf course I love … I will remember it right there for a long time.”
A few minutes later, when Justin Thomas matched the Young’s Birdie victory with another one, Young was there to greet him with a giant roar and hug. Dechambeau completed a 5-down return of him to win a half point valid. And then young, Dechambeau and Thomas were thrown into carriages, competing towards their teammates. The return was on.
Bradley called the spark in his oppressor after the round.
“When we sent Cam Young first from New York to take us out, we had to have that match,” Bradley said. “He went out to the whole world, in front of his state, and made a 10-way to defeat Justin Rose who is a Cupper Ryder of all time and celebrate at Bethpage Black before all.”
After all, for SH.BA was a memorable and bold but losers’ effort. Their mountain was too long to climb; Europe scratched enough half point to reach 14, then 14.5, then final 15-13.
We are not used to listening to many of the young people neither in victory nor for loss. He is not on social media, he is allergic to attracting attention and does not spend words. But when asked to summarize his week, Young held the monologue of the press conference.
“It’s been extraordinary,” he said. “I mean, from the moment I received the call from Keegan, you know, I feel like this group is too close. We were too pushed to win this week. I think this was its most delightful part for me is to be just one of the 12 guys here playing for our country, playing for each other.”
And then he turned to his teammates, who would start smelling.
“Yes, the last little where we were running, I don’t know for any of you guys, but I haven’t felt anything like playing golf before. I mean, it was really incredible to see one after another, just to start blowing, fighting as they did. I have never seen anything like that, and I have never felt anything like it.
“So I think it’s really just a testimony of how much it means to all of us to be here and how much we all want to play well for each other. It was really unbelievable.”
Young team didn’t win. American fans left inspired, but eventually disappointed. There will be days, weeks, months with second conjecture ahead. But Young left a mark on Bethpage Black – and vice versa.
Dylan dethier welcomes your comments to Dylan_dethier@golf.com.
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