Cameron Young Dominates in Rookie Ryder Cup Performance

Cameron Young came into Bethpage Black as a Ryder Cup rookie and is leaving as a potential future staple of the United States Team.

Perhaps it was Young's comfortablity with a familiar course in Bethpage Black, where he won the 2017 New York State Open shooting a then-course record 64 and winning in a playoff.

Or perhaps it was the moment he'd been dreaming of since the 2025 Ryder Cup was announced at the vaunted Black Course that had come to life -- and it was time to out all the hard work he'd done to make the U.S. squad to the test.

Young passed with flying colors, going 3-1-0 over four matches in his Ryder Cup debut and co-leading the team in points. He also led the U.S. with total holes won (19) and handed Team Europe stalwart Justin Rose his only loss of the event.

All that... as the youngest player on the team at age 28.

"It's been incredible," Young said. "We were incredibly driven to win this week. I think that's been the coolest part of it for me is to just be one of the 12 guys that's here playing for our country, playing for each other. That last bit there where we were making a run... I haven't felt anything like that playing golf before.

"I mean, that was truly unbelievable to watch one after the other just start making putts, fighting the way that they did. I've never seen anything like that, and I've never felt anything like that watching golf, or playing golf. It's a testament to how much it means to all of us."

Young's Ryder Cup debut started Friday afternoon with Justin Thomas against Ludvig Åberg and Rasmus Højgaard in the Four-Ball session, and it became apparent quickly that there was a breakout start roaming around Bethpage.

Young and Thomas dispatched of Åberg and Højgaard, 6&5, with Young winning four of the six holes between him and Thomas. Such success should be rewarded, so Young was put out by Captain Keegan Bradley with Bryson DeChambeau in the opening Foursomes match on Saturday vs. Matt Fitzpatrick and Åberg.

DeChambeau crushed his drive to pitch range for Young, who then proceeded to send a jolt through the crowd with this shot:

Young and DeChambeau would turn on the jets on the back nine, and ended up winning 4&2 over the Europeans. Young's ballstriking and putting -- the latter of which he's solved his woes for this year -- anchored the team, turning him into the U.S.'s seemingly best performer when it mattered most.

Young would go back out with Thomas versus the Irish lads duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry in one of the most talked about matches of the day. The Americans would succumb to McIlroy and Lowry, 2UP, but that didn't stop Bradley from putting out Young in the ever-important opening match of Sunday Singles, trying to set a historic tone.

And that Young would do.

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 28: Cameron Young of Team United States celebrates after making a putt to defeat Justin Rose (Not Pictured) of Team Europe 1UP on the 18th hole against during the Sunday singles matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course on September 28, 2025 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

He got out to a fast start versus Rose, getting to 3UP by the 12th hole before the wyly European veteran clawed his way back. Young knew he'd need to dig deep.

"Obviously went through kind of a range of emotions just through the whole day," said Young. "You know, got off to a good start, and kind of felt like nothing could go wrong, and then Justin Rose started doing some interesting things. Made some putts on me. And all of a sudden, it just feels like I'm just going to give it away.

"Then, you know, to have a putt there on 18 to get a full point for the team was all could I have asked for.

Young buried a clutch birdie putt on 18 to sink Rose's comeback chances and secure the United States' first point of a wild Sunday Singles attempted comeback that would fall just short.

"It was a day of trying to put points on the board," Young said. "I went through a lot of different things but happy to have had that opportunity on the last hole."

Based on his performance at Bethpage, it seems likely Cameron Young will have a lot of those opportunities in two years time at Adare Manor.