Almost for Hull; finally for Young

The weekend gave us some excitement from the women and the men.

For the ladies, it was the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

On the PGA Tour, it was the Wyndham Championship at Greensboro, North Carolina.

While the girls were playing for more prestige (a major), the boys were playing for more money (final spots at the FedEx Cup Playoffs).

Japanese dominance

The much-awaited AIG Women’s Open began with multiple players from Japan leading the way. I was eager to see how Lottie Woad, England’s standout junior who recently turned pro, would perform — and she delivered with a win.

Of course, Yuka Saso was someone to root for as well. Unfortunately, Yuka wasn’t part of the Japanese leaders who took the first six places.

Reminiscent of how South Koreans once dominated leaderboards, Japan’s ladies showed the way in Wales.

By the third round, there was reason for excitement as there was already a good mix at the top.

While Japan’s Miyu Yamashita still held the slimmest of leads, locals had reason to hope, as popular pro Charley Hull of England was only three shots back.

Hull shot a blistering 66 to come from obscurity to finally have a realistic shot.

The fourth round had everything, with Hull cutting down Yamashita’s lead to one by the back 9.

With the howling winds, tall grass, and pot bunkers dotting Royal Porthcawl, it truly was anyone’s tournament.

Hull’s finish was unfortunate, though, as she made consecutive bogeys on 16 and 17.

Eventual champion Yamashita leaned on steady play, smart positioning, and clutch putting, saving pars at crucial stages, and making her share of birdies to keep a little buffer between her and the chasing pack.

Cameron Young wins

The Wyndham Championship

For someone who is quite well known, it was surprising to know that Cameron Young hasn’t won on the PGA Tour yet.

I always assumed he had a few titles to his name, aside from finishing near the top at a few majors.

But this time, Cameron Young finally got his win, and in a pretty convincing fashion.

The Wyndham is the last regular tournament before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, so everyone within striking distance of the playoffs will be gunning to play well and win, or improve their rankings.

The tournament began with a number of players scoring in the low 60s, with Joel Dahmen leading the way with a 9-under 61.

Steady play and some low scores were the order for the next two rounds, and after the dust settled, Cam Young was on top by a “comfortable” 5 shots.

Young was at 20-under after 54 holes, with Nico Echavarria trailing at 15-under.

Now, 5 shots is a substantial lead for most, but when it’s potentially your first win, I am sure Young felt the pressure the whole day.

As well as he plays, and as often he is in contention, there must have been some negative thoughts swirling in his mind during the final round.

It took one hole for him to show some nerves as he bogeyed the very first hole. That must have felt like an “oh no, not again” moment.

But credit to his grit, he bounced back on the very next hole with a birdie, and another one on the third after a long sliding putt found the hole.

As if that wasn’t enough proof that he was ready for a win, Young birdied three more holes consecutively, for a total of 5 birdies in 6 holes.

He was on a mission and wasn’t planning on letting anyone near him. By the 7th hole, Young was at 24-under, nine shots clear of joint second placers.

So the rest of the final round was a case of everyone else fighting for second.

After a less-than-perfect start, Cam Young shot a 31 on the front and had the entire back nine to enjoy his march to his first PGA Tour title.

He had enough of a lead to afford a few errant shots on the last few holes. He finally won after 7 second-place finishes.

That’s a lot of doubt. But it also says he has the game to consistently contend and win. And win he did.

Just moments after the final putt dropped, Cameron Young said, “Where do I go? I’ve never done this before.” That statement was a bit of humor after so much frustration. I am sure it is a huge relief and validation for a top player like Cameron Young. A couple of good finishes during the playoffs, and he might even make it to the US Ryder Cup team.