NSN Tonight caught up with PGA tour golfer Cameron Champ after first round play at the 2025 Barracuda Championship.
Back here at the Barracuda Championship, hanging out with Cam Champ, fresh off a 13point round one. You shot a 66. How’d it feel out there, man? Yeah, you know, uh it was a very odd day. I I really felt like I did not hit it well. I was just kind of kind of just trying to just control my tempo all day. Just something didn’t feel right, but I was just scoring well. Um, for the most part, you know, if if if I left myself, you know, 15 to 25 ft, I was able to capitalize today. So, I really think it was a little bit of ball striking with irons, uh, but I I made a lot of great putts today. That in that included a 31 on the back nine. What do you like about this event? Third time here at Old Greenwood, the Stableford system. It’s a very unique one for you guys, right? It is. Yeah, it’s it’s like you said, somebody can shoot, you know, um, you know, two under um with no bogeies versus somebody can shoot two under with four birdies and two two bogeies and beat that person. So, it is a little odd with that aspect. Um, obviously if you’re on the right side of that, it’s obviously beneficial. Uh, but it’s it’s it’s different. It’s fun. Um, you know, this event kind of feels kind of like a home event for me. I grew up not not too far from here. So yeah, it’s uh always enjoyable. Yeah. So you’re from the Sacramento area, kind of Roseville. Uh did you get to play a lot of mountain golf up here in the the kind of Truckucky Tahoe area when you were growing up or even into like Auburn? I imagine this isn’t like an uncomfortable environment for you. No. Yeah. No. No. A lot. You know, was growing up, you know, there was Dark Horse, The Ridge. Um we came up here a little bit just occasionally, maybe maybe once or twice a year. Um definitely some junior golf in Reno. So yeah. Yeah. Like I said, it’s this is very familiar for me. Um, my grandfather actually had a c had a cabin when I was young and trucky, so we come up all all the winters. Um, so yeah, like you said, this is uh kind of a little home away from home. So, you’ve actually won three times on the PGA Tour. One of those was at the Safeway Open, which might even more be more of like a homecoming as well. Uh, being in Northern California. What did it mean to you, not only to win that event, but being the fact that it’s kind of right in your backyard as well? Yeah, I think uh just everything that was kind of going on that week and how I was playing. Um yeah, that was definitely a special week. Um one to remember. Um everything went easy. It was just Yeah, it was the best way I can explain it was just the very free flowing freedom just playing. Um you know, I I didn’t make many mistakes at all that week. You know, I didn’t made make a ton of birdies, but I just didn’t make many mistakes and it just kind of kept me in there. Last win 2021 at the 3M. So, it’s been four years. Is that is that something that you think about like it’s been a while, but also man, some guys can go 300 plus events. We just talked with Patrick Rogers and he’s still looking for that elusive first win, but is it one of those like I’d love to get back at the top one of these days here? For me, it’s just kind of one tournament at a time right now. Um, you know, this year was definitely it’s been a very odd slash positive year. Um, kind of how the start of the year went and the end of last year. So, um, you know, for me it’s just been trying to do the same things. um keep putting in the work that I’m doing. Um and then on the flip side, just kind of working on myself. I feel like that’s the main key for me. So, um like you said, with kind of how the last few years have gone for me, um I know once I can take care of that, which I have been and I’ve been getting better, I still I’m still human. I’m still going to make make mistakes and maybe overreact on a certain shot, but you know, I’m still I’m heading in the right direction. And you’re still just 30 years old. You mentioned your grandpa Mack, correct? I think we lost him about six years ago, but I think he was hugely influential for you, right? Can you just talk about your the origin and your golf story and just how it got going? Yeah. Yeah. Pops uh he started me I mean first time at a club I was probably 18 months, two years old kind of when he introduced the game. Um you know my dad was an athlete back in the day, baseball guy. So um obviously I knew probably initially he wanted me to play baseball. Um even at that time I think when I was born he was like what the hell’s golf? Like he had no idea about golf. Um, but kind of as time went on, you know, my my parents worked a lot when I was younger, so my grandma and pops kind of half raised me. You know, my parents would work all the way till 6:00 and then they come pick me up. So, um, yeah. So, like you said, it was just every single day in the backyard hitting balls, hitting balls, and um, just eventually when I got older, started playing events and it just kind of took off from there. Look at you now, man. Kind of a cool side story as well. Uh, we saw that Marcus Bellan, University of Nevada, uh, star, uh, was out there following you on the golf course. What’s the story behind that? I definitely know who he is. Um, like you said, being kind of from this area and kind of following sports and all that. Yeah, it was, uh, it was it was nice to see, nice to just see the support in general. So, um, like you said, it’s this is a a very comfortable week for me and and and to have have the have the support is great. All right. So, you’re kind of known as a guy that can let it fly a little bit. Being up here at high elevation, I mean, what are we talking about when it comes to average drives here at Old Greenwood? Um, for me, it’s here very It depends on the flight. Um, you can hit the same shot with two different flights and it go 10 yards difference. Like, does that something you have to be mindful of? Also, you have Yeah. Picking the shot I want to hit. Like if I’m hitting a stock shot and I’m flighting it, it’s not going to go as far as if I’m hitting a stock shot normal height in the air. Um kind of similar as drives, but you know, I’m playing around 10 to 12%. For for altitude. So, um like you said on on the range drivers were going 350ish, which for me normal back home is 315 to 325. So, it’s about about right on the about right on the percentage. Um and kind of similar with irons, you know, 6 iron was going 230ish this week versus um normal conditions, it’s around 210 to 213. Okay. So, if you’re here like and you wanted to just crank it at high elevation, like what do you think you could max out at this elevation on your driver? If you wanted to just rip it, I mean, yesterday I hit one with one of my buddies, Chandler. Um I think that one flew 359. Um but I was going at it. That one we were just joking around. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let’s just see cuz we’re up there. He was the one. Yeah. For me I like I kind of hate doing it but he was just kind of messing with me like it. So when are we in Truckucky? Right. Can you tell us about the Cameron Champ foundation and some of the things you’re doing through the game? Yeah. So we started that um kind of when it when I first came on tour. Um and it kind of stems back to just kind of where I grew up. You know I grew up uh the first golf course I ever played was a course called Foothill Farms um off Greenback in 80. Um they had a program there. It was maybe like 50 bucks for kids under eight for the year and I’d just play there. Same thing with pops at that time. You know, if my parents are working until the evenings, pops would come pick me up. We go play pretty much as many holes as I wanted to. So, um come for full circle. We took it over probably maybe three years ago, four years ago now. Um and that’s kind of where we’re going to stem kind of our the foundation out of. You know, like I said, my dad has a lot of roots back home with the community. I mean, he’s been there since uh since Pops got stationed there at Mlullen. So, that was uh gosh, late 70s, early 80s. So, um yeah, so we’re we’re golf is going to be the platform. Obviously, that’s not everything, but again, it’s using it as a platform to get the kids in. um and the ones that want to play golf will have all the everything you need um to kind of improve your game. But then also just the flip side of kind of where I grew up on I guess it would be the east side of Highway 80 was a lot different than the west side. Um so um it’s just it’s creating an environment for them, a comfortable environment, mentorship, um help with books, studies, um and just have just have a fun fun environment. So, like I said, golf golf is the main we’re using that as a platform, but that’s not everything. Does your little guy got a club in his hands yet? If the internet’s to believed, be believed. Son Beckham, two in a week from today, turning two. Yep. Yep. July July 24th. I promise I wasn’t creeping on you, but uh I mean, he got a club in his hand yet. He He’s kind of He has it and he’s The odd thing is I think he watches me swing standing from this direction. So, lately he’s been swinging lefty. I’m like I’m like, “Well, that one’s going to be a bit tough for me.” Um, so yeah. No, he’s uh he is a little bit big for his age, but yeah, we’ll uh like you said, even that, you know, I’m not going to force it on him. Obviously, it it would be a lot of fun um if he were to play, but you know, we’ll just kind of take things slowly and kind of see what he kind of falls into and kind of go from there. How has fatherhood changed your perspective? It definitely has. Yeah, it uh it can kind of bring you back in moments like even, you know, whether it be a tournament or if you know you’re kind of veering off, you know, um mentally out there. It kind of just pulls you back in in into the circle. So, um it always reminds me, you know, what’s important um you know, why I’m doing this, why I’m gone for I mean, I’ve been gone the last five weeks and I’m playing the next two and then um yeah, so it’s it’s it’s it’s it makes it worth uh being gone that much. Word. You got anything else? Because I do got one more before almost run out. I did do a bit of a deep dive on the Instagram. I saw you played a couple rounds with Steph Curry like maybe like six or seven years ago. Yeah, on the on the web.com. We just got done covering the American Century Championship last week at Edgewood. Did you have your eyes on the Celeb tournament at all? And maybe who were you impressed by out there? I did. I did watch it a little bit. Um, yeah, you know, Steph definitely has game. I remember when we played there. I think the first day he struggled, but the second day I think he shot par one under. Yeah. So, I mean I mean again for the guy who’s what 70% of the year, I mean he’s just locked in on basketball and obviously he’ll play I’m sure a couple maybe a day or two here and there in between schedules, but um it was definitely impressive. Um and I did mess with Charles um Barkley. Um he’s been a huge supporter of mine and kind of so um I think what was the first day I think he hauled out once and then then he hit a couple shots. Yeah. And then the following day there was a clip going around where he bladed one over the green. I’m not sure if y’all saw that. Obviously, I’m not gonna say what he said, but I think you were there for that, weren’t you? I was there for that. He had some choice words for himself. Yeah, I was that was dying laughing when Yep. It’s always great to see those guys go to Tahoe every year and act like professional golfers. Cam Champ, man, thanks so much for the time. 13 points in round one. Very much in contention. Good luck the rest of the way. Thank you.
