Cameron Young on the 2025 Ryder Cup, First PGA Tour Win, & TGL Season 2 | Lunch With The Boys

Ahead of TGL’s second season, New York Golf Club’s Cameron Young joined Joseph LaMagna and PJ Clark to debrief the most successful year of his career to date.

He talks about his reaction to being sent out first on Sunday at the 2025 Ryder Cup, defeating Justin Rose at Bethpage, his putting improvement, qualifying for the U.S. Open, the difference between playing outdoor golf and TGL, and, of course, his favorite fruit.

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Welcome back. Lunch with the boys, PJ Clark, Joseph Lmana. We are once again joined by New York Golf Club superstar, Ryder Cuper, and the 1000th unique winner on the PGA Tour, Cameron Young. Cameron, thanks for joining us. Absolutely. Thank you guys for having me on. We are uh you know, the last time we did this, we were on the range at Oakmont. We were asking you about TGL questions on Tuesday right after you showed up. So, uh, appreciate you taking some time to join us again and talk a little bit of TGL. Uh, how are you doing after such a, uh, you know, an impressive, hectic end to the season after the last time we talked? Yeah, it’s been nice to have a little bit of time off, time to myself. Um, like you said, it was definitely a busy end of the year. you know, end up having to play a lot there. And um it it all just kind of came at me pretty fast. You know, that that last four-week stretch of the season, I was, you know, fighting to get to um East Lake and then, you know, one thing led to another and all of a sudden I was playing Napa in preparation for the RDER Cup and then the RDER Cup. So, it uh it it was a busy busy couple months, but um really all good stuff and thankful to have had it be that busy. you know, I it was it was all stuff I wanted to be doing. So, um it was a fun month and then and then been nice to be at home and have some time to recover and and just spend a little bit of time in my own home. Uh Cam, with that strong finish to the to the end of the season, you’re into all the signature events next year. Your status into the majors secure. What does a Cam Young off season look like when you’re not playing in PGA Tour events? Uh it’s it’s a mix. I do still I do a lot of my corporate stuff in the fall. Um, so we kind of push a lot of it to after the season is over. So I’m busy doing that. Uh, I definitely keep practicing. I’m not a guy that can take six weeks off. Uh, I get to maybe day three or four and, uh, it starts bugging me to get back out there. But, uh, yeah, it’s it’s just more time spent with my family. There’s not not a lot outside of those two things for me. It’s, you know, it’s my my job and then, you know, my wife and kids at home. So, uh, it’s it’s still busy, but it’s just not busy with the same amount of travel that we do during the season. Uh, quite a year as PJ mentioned. First PJ tour win, breakout performance at the RDER Cup, playing some of the best golf career. We we talked a little bit at Oakmont about how much better your putter has become over the last year. How much more complete of a player do you feel like you are entering 2026 than maybe any other period of your career? Yeah, that’s a big step. Um, I I feel like it’s a lot of things that have just kind of added up to some better stats. It It’s kind of hard to put my finger on what what has changed there, but it’s, you know, it just allowed me to take advantage of the days that I hit it well in a way that I, you know, maybe haven’t in the past. I think it kept me together some days that I hit it poorly. And, you know, that’s kind of what putting together a season is about. If you can you can get so much more out of the good days if your bad days are manageable. You know that the days that I feel like I used to turn 68 into 71, I’ve turned a few 73s into 68s. And you know over the course of the season, you never know. One of those days can just make a huge difference in your entire year. So th just on a consistent basis being able to turn those mediocre days into better ones has I think led to some better results recently. So last off seasonason you you said you worked on the putter and obviously the the stats and and your performance kind of you know yeah bore that out. What’s the plan for for heading into 2026? What are you working on now? Uh right now the main thing for me is just trying to kind of get as healthy as I can by the start of the season. Um trying to just build my body up a little bit so that um you know I’m not not getting too drained by the end of the year. You know, it’s a it’s kind of a fast season. It it goes by quick, but it’s, you know, very taxing physically to to be out playing as much as we are. I think I played 25 or six times this year. And I I just want to start from a better place than I have the last couple years. I feel like my falls have gotten derailed by one thing or the other. And the goal this fall is really just to to try to avoid that and try to build myself up. So I I kind of have the the physical capability to get through a season, you know, at 100% or close. Uh it’s hard to be 100%, but just really to be able to get through the season and try to perform at my, you know, maximum level as much as I can. So you you mentioned having to play a lot this year. I want to take you back to sectional qualifying for the US Open. You win that playoff, you get in, you go to Canada, you play well there, you play well at the US Open, and that kind of sets you off for the entire year. Like looking back now in retrospect, do you see sectional qualifying as kind of like a pivot point for not only the year or, you know, moving forward as well? Yeah, to some extent. I mean, it’s after you’ve been exempt into all the majors for a couple years, that’s just somewhere you don’t imagine finding yourself. Um, I was in the masters. I was in the PGA, but I found out only maybe uh I can’t remember when it was maybe in in April that I wasn’t exempt into the two opens. I didn’t know that. So, I got a call from from one of my agents and said, “Hey, where do you want to play US Open sectional golf?” Like, I I really don’t want to play. I I didn’t know that that was on the table. So, uh, that was not a pleasant phone call, but yeah, I mean, looking back, it was in the middle of a difficult stretch. And to have, you know, I didn’t play amazing, but I got the job done. And, uh, to have done that kind of, especially in a on a day that was hard. I mean, I I didn’t play great. I had some rough moments, but at the end of the day, you know, had an opportunity and took advantage of it. And I think that kind of marks the rest of the season. You know, I I didn’t I didn’t have um a ton of opportunity to do some things at the end of the year. If you kind of look from the perspective of, you know, the beginning of May, it kind of looked like I I was, you know, out of the RDER Cup. Really was going to struggle to get the top 50 in FedEx, never mind to make East Beast Lake. And from that moment on, I just kept giving myself opportunities. And just like I did in that in that sectional qualifier, I kind of was able to take advantage of them and I’m very proud of that. Some big putts you mention that you made just to get into the US Open through the qualifier. Another huge putt you made was on the 18th green at Beth Page against Justin Rose. And I was just curious if you could kind of put us in your headsp space as you were walking up to that green. I mean, massive moment for the United States and a pretty big moment in your career. Did you know you’re gonna make the putt? Like, can you kind of think back to what that moment was like in your head? Yeah, I mean, honestly, it’s it was some shock kind of in both directions. Uh, you know, through 12 holes, I felt like I was in complete control. Um, I was, not that I was getting ahead of myself, but I was just ready to get that match over with. And um and then you know by the 17th green him having a putt to go one up uh I kind of couldn’t believe that he missed and so I went from you know never thinking I’m going to lose to how on earth am I even going to get half a point and then you know thankfully my ball ended up just inside his on 18. And you know never in a million years did I think I was going to have a butt to win that match at that point. So, um, I kind of knew his wasn’t going in early just the way it started. I could tell it wasn’t breaking. Um, and at that point it just it’s kind of hits you the opportunity that you have because it’s one that you and I never thought I was going to have to make a putt to win that match and then all of a sudden I never thought I’d have a putt to make to win that match. And um, you know, it’s sitting there in front of you and I’ve made a lot of those in my head over the years practicing. So, it’s pretty cool to to have one of those. I’ve never really had one in my career like it. You know, I’ve never had a putt to win a tournament. Um I don’t think I’ve ever had a putt to tie. So, it’s just one of those moments. It’s so defined. The outcome is is right in front of you. And um you know, hit hit a really good putt. That’s all I could do. And thankfully, it was my one good read on the back nine. Even just going back to the the start of that match Saturday night, Keegan says, “You’re going out first.” like what did you ever expect? Obviously, you personally had played really well to that point, but the team was was down. Did you expect to go out first? Did you think that was ever happening? And then was that even just compounded by the matchup with one of the best players in the history of the event? Yeah, I mean, I I don’t know if I necessarily expected it, but I wasn’t really surprised either. I had played really well. Um, and even though I didn’t say it, it was a spot that I wanted. you know, it I had been playing some really good golf. I knew we needed points early and, you know, selfishly, it’s it’s nice to be put in a place like that because it again, it’s just another huge opportunity to do something memorable. Yeah. Um, so, you know, you hear Justin Rose, I know he’s one of the all-time great Rder Cup players and, uh, you know, he’s top 10 player in the world. He’s had a great year and like I said, it’s just a huge opportunity. I mean, not that not that my game is unproven, but that’s that’s a moment where you can can kind of show people what you have. And um you know, I wish I had I wish I had ended the match early like I thought. But all things considered, um you know, the next time I have a putt like that, I’ll have already made one. Yeah. And uh something I can look back on very positively. Uh, looking ahead to the majors next year, Cameron, and the venues, if you had to pick one golf course of the four that best suits your skill set or your eye, which one would that be? And and what do you like about that golf course? Um, I mean, of the four, uh, I I would have to say Augusta. I’ve I’ve played well there. I’ve kind of I’ve been hit or miss. Um, but the times that I’ve played poorly, it’s been kind of understandable. my first year there. Um, you know, I just I felt like I I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have the course knowledge um kind of that you need around that place. I wasn’t comfortable. Um, and then I had uh backto-back top 10s the next two years and then last year I just was struggling with my game and that’s not a place that you’re going to find it. So, I think the results kind of all make sense and I do just really like that place. I I drive it typically pretty well there. Um, and the more comfortable I get, you know, being a good putter, now I’ve got a year under my belt of actually putting well, and I think that will play to my advantage going there next year. All right, last last question before we get into some TGL stuff. I did just want to ask, you’re you’re down there at the Windom, last event of the regular season. Were how what level of awareness were you of the whole 10,000th unique winner thing? Like did you even notice? Last time I heard it was in the press conference. Okay, that’s what I thought. Yeah. No, I had no idea. Did you like Were you even Were you surprised that they were making such a big deal out of it or um I I feel like they didn’t make a huge deal out of it. It was it was kind of a cherry on top, I suppose. But yeah, I I had no idea going into it and um it it didn’t didn’t play into my my thought process at all out there. It was just just kind of a a cool milestone uh you know for the tour and I’m happy to kind of be be in the books as you know at least whether I do anything else or not you know I got I have that notch in my belt and uh I kind of get to be the mile marker there on the thousandth winner. There you go Mr. 1000. All right. So you’re in the you’re in the SFI center. You’re ready to go for uh season two. Um the green expansion is the biggest thing. We talked in Oakmont that that you had uh the longest but intel history. Are you kind of taking it personally that now somebody has an opportunity to break your record? I don’t know. I mean that I was in there today and you know they were saying may maybe maybe someone will maybe it’ll be me again. So who knows? It’s uh you know it’s a it’s a good I think I hit the longest t-shot in TGL history just today again. Oh there you go. Um I’ve got got two of those now in here. But yeah, it’s fun. And I mean the green looks great. There is some more opportunity to make a long putt. Um kind of that bottom section you could definitely have a you know reasonably straight 40 50footer. So there there’s definitely opportunity, but we’ll see. I mean it’s going to take some some learning in there again to kind of get used to the green and um sorry I’m looking at it thinking about how I want to go out there and hit a few putts. But um yeah, there’s going to be going to be some more opportunity to make a long putt and um we’ll see. Who knows? Cam, is there anything about playing in TGL that a fan just wouldn’t understand from watching? Do you have to play certain shots differently because it’s indoor and like take spin-off or something? Is there anything different about playing that fans just wouldn’t know from watching at home? Yeah, I mean it it’s it’s close to real golf, you know? It’s it’s close to playing outside. There’s a lot of things that are similar, but there’s a little bit of game aspect to it, too. Um, there’s some stuff you have to just get comfortable with. You know, you’re used to seeing a shot curve the whole way there. And in here, you get to see the flight for the first 35 yards. And it starts to move, but it just it’s a little difficult at first to kind of conceptualize how much that would curve, you know, how much it’s going to curve on the screen, too. So, for me, it takes a little bit of getting used to on that. I typically am better off trying to move things less. Um, but yeah, I mean the the main thing is just how quick it moves. You have to be ready. You know, the thing that I think when you come in here the first time and play, if you were trying to stick to the rules and play with the shot clock and you were playing our format, if you’re not ready for it and you don’t know where you need to be, that shot clock is going to get you pretty quick. Um, so it’s a lot of just getting comfortable with that where you can be in position, know that you’re up next, know what kind of shot you’re going to hit, and kind of be ready to use the time that you have in the shot clock to prepare for your shot and not just to get to where you’re going. So, you have to be ready. And it I think we all got comfortable, you know, part of the way through the season and I think made it probably look easier than it is the first time. If you’re just coming in here once to play the game, you’re going to struggle to keep up a little bit, at least the first part of it, because it it comes at you pretty quick. So, your your profile has certainly raised since the RDER Cup and and winning on the PGA Tour for the first time. Are you prepared uh maybe for some more miked up questions being being asked a little bit more in season two here? Yeah. Yeah, maybe. Um, I think, you know, largely I’m I’m not known to be much of a talker, but uh, happy to feel the question if they’ve got one for me. All right. Well, we’ll let you go after this. At Oakmont, you know, put you on the spot. Favorite fruit was a strawberry. I’m going to give you a second. Do you want to change that answer? And if not, when was the last time you had a good strawberry? I mean, it’s uh, it’s definitely still a good fruit. I bought some yesterday at the store, so if I don’t I had some in a smoothie the other day. So, I’ve had them recently. It’s still still a solid fruit. I’ll stick to it. All right, there it is. Cameron Young, thanks for joining us. Congrats on the great year, too. Appreciate that.