Alex Fitzpatrick has suggested that many people simply do not realise just how good Cameron Young’s short game is, as he issued his verdict on the year the American has had.
It has been a breakout 12 months for Young. He went into last year’s Wyndham Championship still awaiting a first victory on the PGA Tour.
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Of course, he subsequently proved to be Team USA’s best player at the 2025 Ryder Cup, with Young beating Justin Rose in the Sunday singles to set the tone on a dramatic final day at Bethpage Black.
Young has backed that up with victories this year at The Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship.
Alex Fitzpatrick comments on playing alongside Cameron Young before they both ended up on the PGA Tour
The win at TPC Sawgrass was particularly significant to Alex Fitzpatrick, as it was his brother Matt who lost out to Young over the final few holes.
Young actually played alongside Alex Fitzpatrick while the pair were at Wake Forest University together.
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And speaking on the No Laying Up podcast, the 27-year-old explained that he has not been in the slightest bit surprised to see the success Young has had over the last year.
Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
“Cam was one of the very few people that I’ve played golf with and been like, ‘wow, this is seriously good’. So for the longest time I couldn’t believe that he hadn’t done as well as he hoped. I honestly believe that this year is the golf that he would be playing for a long time,” he said.
“He just hits the ball a long way, his approach play’s great. I don’t think people realise how good his hands are, his short game is a joke. And then once he finds the putter hot, it’s hard to catch. I’ve always felt like he was going to do really well, it was just more a matter of time than anything else.
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“He’s great, I love him to bits, he’s not changed since college. He mumbles all the time. People think he’s unhappy, but he’s not. He doesn’t change, which I think is the best thing.”
Why Cameron Young may be so frustrated with his putting during the 2026 season
What will perhaps frustrate Young more than anything is the problems he has had with his putting this year, just as almost every other part of his game has improved.
Young was actually seventh on the PGA Tour for strokes gained putting during the 2025 season.
He has fallen to 89th this year. Meanwhile, his strokes gained around the green ranking has improved from 107th to 34th.
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The Open Championship was something of a return to form for the 29-year-old. For some time on Sunday at Royal Birkdale, it appeared that Young may have actually got to the winning score before Ryan Fox made a stunning birdie on the last.
That week saw Young’s first top 40 finish since the PGA Championship. So perhaps everyone should expect a strong end to the season now that he is potentially back on track.
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