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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Cameron Young’s frustration with seven runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour without a victory peaked at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic. Since 1983, no player has come this close without winning. A week after shooting a scintillating 59 at the Travelers Championship, Young’s driver endured the wrath of his frustrations.

During the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the 27-year-old was in contention for his first win through the 13 holes, but his driver let him down. Young missed three out of 10 fairways and lost his composure when he reached the par-5 14th tee, shooting a hook.

In a fit of frustration, Young pressed the head of the driver into the ground, breaking the shaft. CBS Analyst Trevor Immelman confirmed that the NY native had cracked his driver. Later, Orlando Pope, a PGA Tour rule official, announced on the broadcast that Young couldn’t replace his driver.

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Without his crucial driver for the last four holes, Young fell out of contention, finishing with a bogey, par, and bogey on the last three holes. He ended up T6, just three strokes behind Rocket Mortgage Classic winner Cameron Davis. The drama continued for Young, as he faced criticism from the golf world for his actions at the Detroit Golf Club.

Netizens cannot empathize with Cameron Young’s actions

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In the 2024 season, Cam Young has been one of the few pros to rarely miss the cut. He has played 17 events and only missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open. Young recorded six top-10 finishes, including at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Despite his strong performances, he has yet to secure a win, with his driver-breaking incident now cited as a reason for his lack of victories as one fan remarked, “Cam creating new ways to not win in live time…..”

Golf can frustrate many pros, who express their anger in various ways. If it had been Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, they might have dropped a few f-bombs to vent. However, Young’s outburst was rare and somewhat understandable, given his consistent missed fairways, as one fan noted, “Best course management decision he’s made all day.” 

In the final round of the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, Young shot three bogeys and two birdies. Notably, when he was struggling with his driver, his putter was not being a help either. In the final three-hole stretch, Young missed a four-foot putt on the 16th to make a bogey and another one on the 19th for another two-putt. This made one viewer say, “He should be breaking his putter.” 

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Young scored one out of seven runner-up finishes in the 2024 season being a solo second at the Valspar Championship. Owing to two bogeys in the final rounds at Innisbrook Resort, the 27-year-old couldn’t force a playoff with Peter Malnati, finishing just two strokes behind. This pattern of strong performances followed by late-round struggles led one fan to label him a “Big choke.” 

The 27-year-old has never been known for precise accuracy with his driver. On the PGA Tour, Young ranks 62nd in Driving Accuracy and 31st in Driving Distance (as of the end of the Rocket Mortgage Classic). This highlights that driving isn’t Young’s strongest suit, often resulting in errant shots. Hence, predicting his drive shots, one fan took a jibe at his skills, “As soon as he hits a putt I immediately think that isn’t getting there, have yet to be wrong.”