Cameron Young’s calm after blunder laid foundation for Players validation, Masters momentum

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Cameron Young was awarded the shiny gold trophy for winning the Players Championship late Sunday afternoon at TPC Sawgrass.

His play in Sunday’s final round was as clutch as it was flawless as he overcame a four-shot deficit to start the day and outdueled Matt Fitzpatrick in a positively electric back nine.

But Young had set the foundation for the biggest win of his life some 24 hours earlier, late Saturday afternoon after he hit his tee shot into the water, took a double bogey and doubled his deficit to third-round leader Ludvig Åberg from two shots to four.

The gaffe came right after he’d birdied the par-3 17th hole and had momentum.