logo
'A lot of anger' for Cameron Young after baffling shot, but trending into Oakmont

'A lot of anger' for Cameron Young after baffling shot, but trending into Oakmont

Yahoo2 days ago

Cameron Young had feasted on par-5s through three and a half days at the RBC Canadian Open, playing the three-shotters in a combined 7 under. He kicked off Sunday's final round at TPC Toronto with an eagle at the first hole, where he stuffed a 175-yard approach to a couple feet.
With just the par-5 finishing hole left and a shot back of clubhouse leader Sam Burns, Young seemed highly capable of at least equaling Burns at 18 under, especially after he pounded a 313-yard drive to leave himself 260 yards to the hole.
Advertisement
Young still doesn't seem certain of what happened next.
He hit a 3-wood into the wind that flew the green, traveling 286 yards and ending up in rough so deep that he couldn't get his first chip to the green. He'd bogey the hole, card 65 and settle for a disappointing T-4 finish, two shots out of the playoff between Burns and Ryan Fox.
'This very moment, a lot of anger, a bit of frustration,' Young told reporters afterward. 'I couldn't have hit two better shots on the last hole. I don't hit 3-wood that far, and it's blowing straight into the wind, and it decided to bounce all the way to the back woods. I thought in the air I was going to have about a 12-footer to win the tournament, and it ended up somewhere I was going to struggle to make par, let alone make a 4. Pretty upset. Played pretty well.
'Kind of just want to go home right now.'
Only Young will now head to Oakmont for the U.S. Open, which he qualified for last Monday. His finish Sunday also locked up a spot in next month's Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Advertisement
Young said he'll stay mad for about 15 minutes before turning the page to Oakmont, which he's never played but feels like it sets up well for how he's playing at the moment.
He entered Canada ranked No. 166 in strokes gained approach before ranking No. 34 in that stat at TPC Toronto. He also was third in strokes gained off the tee and seventh in putting.
Young has not notched a top-30 in his last five major starts since his T-9 at the 2024 Masters. He also has struggled in U.S. Opens with a best finish of T-32 out of five tries.
'My game is in totally different shape than it was a couple months ago,' Young added. 'I've come a very, very long way on execution of all the iron play, in particular. I've been putting really well this year. So nice to see that kind of come back to me. Seems to be giving me some decent chances to have nice tournaments.
"... I feel like all the parts of my game are in a place where I can be in a similar position next week, and I expect to do that."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A slump, a meeting and Ernie Clement's rise to one of baseball's best defenders
A slump, a meeting and Ernie Clement's rise to one of baseball's best defenders

New York Times

time18 minutes ago

  • New York Times

A slump, a meeting and Ernie Clement's rise to one of baseball's best defenders

ST. LOUIS — The feeling was unfamiliar for Ernie Clement. The Toronto Blue Jays infielder found himself deep in his first real defensive rut. In May 2024, he wasn't fielding anything cleanly and couldn't make a consistent throw, committing five errors in a 12-game stretch. After his final fielding mistake — a toss from third base that soared way high and skittered into the camera well — Clement stared across the infield, a blank expression on his face. The error prompted a meeting with Blue Jays infield coach Carlos Febles and associate manager DeMarlo Hale. The trio hoped to bust the slump and re-find Clement's fielding form. Instead, it unlocked a new level. Advertisement With a revamped pregame routine, Clement played perfect, errorless defence in his next 20 contests. He finished last season as the Blue Jays' top defensive infielder and was an American League Gold Glove finalist at third base. The impacts of that meeting still linger, as Clement establishes himself as one of baseball's best and most versatile defenders. 'It's easy to say, 'Hey, we need to be fundamentally this and fundamentally that,'' Hale said. 'You can use that word, but you have to have some actions behind it. And I think, to sum it up, Ernie put the actions behind it.' Clement never had to think about defence as he rose to MLB. For the 29-year-old, it was all athleticism and instincts. His agent, Steve Skrinar, sat beside a Cleveland scout during one of Clement's final games at the University of Virginia in 2017. The junior shortstop charged in on a ball, bare-handing the bouncer before firing on to first. 'That's O-Dog reminiscent,' Skrinar said, invoking longtime Jays infielder and four-time Gold Glove winner Orlando Hudson. 'Yeah, that's spot on,' the Cleveland cross-checker responded. A few weeks later, the Guardians selected Clement in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. In his first three MLB seasons, Clement graded out as an above-average defender, but was lost in the shadow of elite Cleveland infielders José Ramírez and Andrés Giménez. Febles saw the potential for more — and told him in that fateful meeting. 'You have good hands, arm,' Febles said. 'You have everything to be a real good defender. We need to kind of pick it up a little bit in terms of the preparation to lock it in.' After the meeting, Clement began taking pre-game grounders at game speed. The pace of hits quickened and the spray of balls widened, challenging the infielder's range. He added hand activation drills into the warmup, too, fielding quick hits off a machine to work on feel. Weeks after the meeting, Clement's defensive confidence was back. Advertisement 'June or July last year, I felt like I was never going to miss a ball,' Clement said. 'This year, I've carried it over and I feel really confident with the work that I've put in.' Clement currently ranks as the ninth-most valuable defender in the sport per Baseball Savant (plus-8 fielding runs). Despite Gold Glovers Daulton Varsho and Giménez missing extended stretches, Clement's elevated defence has kept Toronto as a top-five fielding team. He's the third-best defensive infielder and the only member of the top 12 to play more than one position. Manning every infield position in 2025, Clement embraces versatility. He's even pitched for the Jays in prior years and is the team's emergency catcher. With Addison Barger emerging at third base and Giménez locked in at second, Clement's ability to move around allows manager John Schneider to keep his .273 average and team-leading 1.9 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) consistently in the lineup. Before last year, Clement never played more than 70 games in a season. This year, versatility has earned him time in 65 of Toronto's 67 games. Eventually, it may earn him gold. Clement and Houston's Mauricio Dubón are the only players in baseball to rank within baseball's top 30 defensive players while manning more than three defensive spots. Those play-anywhere guys were once forgotten warriors, but in 2022, MLB introduced a utility Gold Glove award in each league honoring the top defenders who play multiple positions. If Clement keeps bare-handing balls and bouncing around Toronto's infield, he can become the fourth player and first Blue Jay to win the AL utility Gold Glove. If gold gets stitched onto Clement's glove, it'll come thanks, in part, to that May 2024 slump and the meeting that followed. 'Since then, I feel like I'm starting to climb the ladder,' Clement said. 'In terms of where I want to be.' Advertisement Toronto survived a four-run fourth inning and three-run ninth from the Cardinals, holding on to win 10-9 on Tuesday. Giménez hit his first homer since March, and Alejandro Kirk kept his hot streak alive with a second blast in as many nights. The Toronto backstop has 11 hits and six RBI in his last five games, hitting over .430 in June. 'Kirky doesn't say a lot of words,' pitcher Chris Bassitt said. 'But then all of a sudden he goes out there and plays some of the best defence, and his offence is off the charts right now. So, obviously, he's carrying our team. And it's just fun.' The win pushed the Jays to 37-30 on the season, four games behind the Yankees for top spot in the American League East.

Punch Shot: Who wins the 2025 U.S. Open? Winning score under or over par?
Punch Shot: Who wins the 2025 U.S. Open? Winning score under or over par?

NBC Sports

time44 minutes ago

  • NBC Sports

Punch Shot: Who wins the 2025 U.S. Open? Winning score under or over par?

The 125th U.S. Open begins Thursday at Oakmont Country Club. Can anyone beat Scottie Scheffler? What's the winning score? Who might surprise? The team is on-site in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and offers up some answers to the pressing questions at the year's third major. Who wins the 125th U.S. Open? Rex Hoggard: Scottie Scheffler. Because he's Scottie, the winner of three of his last four starts by an average of 5 ½ shots, and there is too much uncertainty to go with anything but chalk at Oakmont. Scheffler has all the tools to win the U.S. Open, or any other tournament he plays. The only question is if he has the patience for the game's most demanding test. Ryan Lavner: Scottie Scheffler. You can make a reasonable case for about a dozen other players – Bryson! Rahmbo! Shane! Collin! – but they all come with the caveat that the world No. 1 is off his game. And there's no indication that is or will be the case. Scheffler is the best driver, best iron player (by miles), a top-5 scrambler and, now, an elite putter – coupled with his myriad other gifts, like grit and patience, that make him the quintessential U.S. Open player at a quintessential U.S. Open. Brentley Romine: Scottie Scheffler. The toughest test in golf and the world's best player. Let's not overthink things. He's long, straight, hits it close, scrambles at an elite level (though slightly worse than his historical numbers) and has been putting it better this year. Scheffler gets his third slam leg on Sunday. Is the winning score under or over par? Hoggard: Under par. This version of Oakmont feels somewhere between the '16 U.S. Open, where Dustin Johnson won at 4 under, and the '07 championship, which was won by Angel Cabrera at 5 over. The winner will finish the week under par but it won't be by much. Lavner: Under. The first few rounds could get spicy, with ideal conditions, sun and wind, to firm up a course that has been doused with historic levels of rain over the past few months. But that's unlikely to last through the weekend, with more rain anticipated, that will allow at least a few players to finish under par at America's toughest course. Romine: Under par, but barely. The course remains soaked but should dry out before we get more storms on Saturday. The rough is brutal, but someone will hit fairways and score a bunch on the wedge holes to offset the likely healthy dose of bogeys. Golf Channel Staff, Rory McIlroy more likely to contend or miss the cut? Hoggard: Miss cut. It's hard to believe, considering that after he won the Masters many thought his newfound freedom could allow him to go on a truly remarkable major run, but that hasn't been the case. He's fresh off his first missed cut in nearly a year, where he posted his worst round in a non-major at the RBC Canadian Open, and is still searching for the right driver. Not a good combination at Oakmont. Lavner: Sorry, but the real answer is somewhere in between, similar to how he performed at the PGA (T-47). His driver situation has settled, and his Open record – improving each year since 2019, top-10s all of them – can't be ignored. But his comments over the past few weeks also suggest that he's adrift mentally, and Oakmont will put every player in a bind. Will he have the patience and hunger to twist his way out of it? That's the biggest question this week. Romine: Miss cut. Especially if he drives the ball like he has since the PGA Championship a few weeks ago. Him revealing he shot 81 here last Monday doesn't help my confidence in him, either. Who's a dark horse contender (55-1+)? Hoggard: Brooks Koepka (60-1). There was a time, not that long ago, when Koepka would arrive at the national championship with a nonsensical amount of confidence. Those days aren't here — he hasn't posted a top-10 finish in a major since winning the 2023 PGA Championship — but he was solid in '16 at Oakmont when he tied for 13th, and the game's most demanding layout may just be what brings back 'Major Championship Brooks.' Lavner: Sam Burns (80-1). Nearly got it done last week in Canada, another strong performance from a player who has ripped off five top-20s in his last six starts. He also has the right combination of power, accuracy and strength to excel at a place like Oakmont, and it doesn't hurt that he's the game's best putter on greens that will baffle nearly everyone in the field. Keegan Bradley (90-1) and Harris English (100-1) are also appealing at their prices. Romine: Keegan Bradley (90-1). One storyline this weekend will be if the U.S. Ryder Cup captain can close out a U.S. Open title and rocket into contention for an automatic berth. He won't, but he will come awfully close. Si Woo Kim at 110-1 is appetizing as well.

The never-give-up story of the dentist who played his way into this week's US Open
The never-give-up story of the dentist who played his way into this week's US Open

CNN

timean hour ago

  • CNN

The never-give-up story of the dentist who played his way into this week's US Open

For a self-confessed 'math and science geek' who once quit his college golf team, Matt Vogt certainly found the perfect formula when it came to qualifying for this year's US Open. Each year 'golf's longest day' brings with it a multitude of inspiring and heartwarming stories. There are thousands of players up and down the country who battle soaring temperatures at the start of the American summer with the goal of completing a 36-hole qualifying marathon and are left hoping they've done enough to make it through to the sport's second oldest Major. This year some big names fell short, including 2014 runner-up Rickie Fowler and six-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa. But in 2025, it's a player who's currently 2,078th in the World Amateur Rankings who's been making all the headlines. Vogt is truly living the dream. He's a full-time dentist who owns his own practice in Indiana, but his heart will always belong to Pennsylvania. He was born in the Pittsburgh area and as a youngster, he caddied for six years at the famed Oakmont Country Club that this year is hosting its 10th US Open. It's a course where he grew to love the game. 'It would be an incredible accomplishment or an incredible thing to be doing if it were anywhere in the country. But for it to be back here at Oakmont, just a place that means so much to me – really the city of Pittsburgh means so much to me,' Vogt told CNN Sports. 'I'm incredibly grateful, honestly. I'm just trying to soak it all in, especially today with all the people out here. It's been incredible so far. I try to find words in all these conversations, but it's been tough to find words, honestly,' he added. The 34-year-old – who won this year's Indianapolis Open – led the way in final qualifying in Washington recently after shooting consecutive rounds of 68 to nail down one of only two spots available for this year's US Open and earn himself a place in the 156-strong field. It's a remarkable achievement for someone who readily admits he never had any serious aspirations to play professional golf. He was briefly on the Butler University team before deciding to focus on school. 'I've always been a math and science geek. So even in high school I said, let's just go major in biology and let's try to be a dentist. Seemed like a great way to work with people, and have daily interactions with people and make it make a difference in people's lives,' he said. 'So, I started my own practice in 2018 and that was a ton of work. But kind of around that time I started to try to just get back into golf a little bit. And been very fortunate as … our practice has grown. I've had a little more time to do things like this and try to pursue, maybe, my regrets of not giving golf a full try in the past. I'll obviously still be an amateur. And still be seeing patients the week after the Open, no matter what happens.' Despite the euphoria of qualifying for this week's US Open, Vogt arrives at Oakmont with a very heavy heart following the passing of his much beloved father, Jim, just a couple of months ago. 'I feel like I've gone from, in a way, from a boy to a man and matured as a person and as a dad. Anyone who's lost a parent, you feel these brief spurts of emotion. He had colon cancer. I wear the blue ribbon for that. Gosh, I say a prayer every night for people who have been affected by cancer. It's a horrible, horrible thing,' Vogt told reporters. Jim Vogt was not just his son's mentor but also his biggest fan, a huge source of inspiration and love both on and off the course. The emotions will be thick for Matt Vogt, especially so given that this Sunday is Father's Day in the United States. 'I'm sure this weekend will be emotional. There's a sense of peace among our family, and I hope he's at peace as well, because it was hard. It's a unique time in my life where my father passed – and I miss him dearly – but I have this beautiful 15-month-old daughter and a wife who supports me in pursuing this and doing these kinds of things. I thank God every day for them. I really do. I thank God for everything in my life. I think this weekend is going to be full of gratitude and hopefully some good golf too.' Vogt – who says he'd be 'nothing' without his Christian faith – is a true Cinderella story. And whatever the outcome this week in his home state, the story of the dentist-turned-US Open qualifier is guaranteed to inspire. 'It's never too late or there's no reason you can't pursue your dreams at any point in your life or try to do something outside of your career, maybe outside of your family commitments that other people might think is foolish or a waste of your time,' he said. 'If you want to do something and it's important to you, you can do it, you honestly can.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store