PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Young picked up a big title to go with his major talent Sunday, hitting the shot of his career to 10 feet on the wind-blown island green for birdie and winning The Players Championship when Matt Fitzpatrick missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole.
Young played bogey-free on the back nine where so many hopes faded, and blistered a 375-yard drive — the longest ever on the 18th at the TPC Sawgrass — that set
up a par and a 4-under 68.
It was only his second victory on the PGA Tour. He tied the tour record with seven runner-up finishes before finally winning late last summer in the Wyndham Championship. But this is the PGA Tour's crown jewel, loosely known as the fifth major, and the pressure was just intense at the end.
Ludvig Aberg, who had a three-shot lead going into the final round, imploded on the back nine with shots into the water on consecutive holes. He shot 40 on the back nine for a 76 and tied for fifth.
Fitzpatrick was the first to seize on Aberg's collapse, hitting wedge to tap-in range for birdie on the 12th and a tee shot to 4 feet for birdie on the 13th.
Young stayed with him and caught him with the clutch birdie on the par-3 17th. A day earlier, Young found the water on the 18th and had to scramble for double bogey. This time, he drilled his tee shot and hit a lob wedge from 98 yards to the back fringe.
Fitzpatrick went too far right into the pine straw and pitched out just short of the green, then hit a good chip to 8 feet. When Fitzpatrick missed his putt to force a playoff, Young was left with a tap-in par to finish at 13-under 275 and collect the $4.5 million prize. He moves to No. 4 in the world.
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