PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Young picked up a big title to go with his major talent Sunday, making the most clutch birdie of his career with a shot into 10 feet on the wind-blown island green for birdie and winning The Players Championship when Matt Fitzpatrick missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole.
Young played bogey-free on the back nine where so many hopes faded. His sand wedge for birdie on the par-3 17th tied him for the lead. And then he blistered a 375-yard drive — the longest ever on the 18th at the TPC Sawgrass — that set up a par and a 4-under 68.
It was only his second victory on the PGA Tour. He tied the tour record with seven runner-up finishes before finally winning late last summer in the Wyndham Championship. But this is the PGA Tour’s crown jewel, loosely known as the fifth major, and the pressure was just intense at the end.
Fitzpatrick was a stroke back after a 68.
Ludvig Aberg, who had a three-shot lead going into the final round, imploded on the back nine with shots into the water on consecutive holes. He shot 40 on the back nine for a 76 and tied for fifth.
Young finished at 13-under 275. He earned $4.5 million and moved to No. 4 in the world.
LIV Golf League
SINGAPORE (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau hit his drive into the water and still won the playoff with a par Sunday at LIV Golf Singapore when Richard T. Lee of Canada missed a 2-foot par putt.
DeChambeau birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 66. Lee birdied four of his last six holes for a 66. They finished on 14-under 274 at Sentosa Golf Club. Lee Westwood closed with a 70 and finished third, his best finish in LIV.
Lee was trying to become the first wild card — players not affiliated with a team — to win in the LIV Golf League. It looked certain the playoff would go another hole when Lee had a 2-footer for par. He jabbed at it with a quick stroke and it spun out hard off the left lip.
It was DeChambeau’s first victory over 72 holes since he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024, and it was his fourth title on LIV Golf. Jon Rahm finished fifth, ending a stretch of five tournaments he won or was runner-up.
The 4 Aces captained by Dustin Johnson won the team competition for the second straight week.
Other tours
Former Women’s PGA champion Hannah Green closed with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory over Cassie Porter and Agathe Laisne to become the first Australian to win the Women’s Australian Open since 2014. The tournament was co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour. … Jeongeun Lee6 won the Epson Tour’s IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, Florida, for her first victory since the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. The 29-year-old South Korean birdied the par-3 18th for a 6-under 65 and a one-stroke victory. She finished at 13-under 200 at Alaqua Country Club. Jiwon Jeon was second after a 63. She parred the final four holes. … Will Florimo closed with a 3-under 69 to hold off Haydn Barron for a two-shot victory in the Heritage Classic on the PGA Tour of Australasia. … Daniel van Tonder rallied with a 9-under 63 for a two-shot victory over Wilco Nienaber and Allen John in The Courier Guys Playoffs: The Serengeti Playoffs on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. …Fuka Suga was the only player to break 70, closing with a 3-under 69 in a six-shot victory at the Taiwan Foxconn Ladies on the Japan LPGA. … Jinyeong Lim had a 68-65 weekend to win the Rejuran Championship by one shot over Yewon Lee on the Korea LPGA.
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The Associated Press
