– Afterwards, life, golf and a golfer’s career take a thousand and one turns and no one can guarantee anything to anyone. But the assault of Cameron Young (-13) on the very front line of world golf, confirmed in 2026, does not in any way seem a temporary or provisional occurrence. It feels entirely as if the New Yorker has come to stay up there and to challenge anyone (yes, including Scottie Scheffler) for whatever achievement, perhaps even the world No. 1 spot in the medium to long term. He looks that well placed. He feels that powerful.
– Young domina con mano firme el Cadillac Championship después de firmar hoy una tarjeta de 67 golpes, cinco menos en el día, apoyándose en las mismas dos muletas del jueves: un putter incisivo, alegre y muy certero, y una excelente mano alrededor de los greenes del Blue Monster (12/13 recuperaciones en las dos primeras rondas). Mañana saldrá a jugar con cinco golpes de ventaja sobre sus inmediatos perseguidores, Jordan Spieth (-8), Nick Taylor (-8) y Alex Smalley (-8), y aunque puede que no gane al final este torneo, porque apenas hemos llegado al meridiano y sería imprudente dar nada por hecho, se hace difícil no contar con él para el esprint final del domingo. Cualquiera puede sufrir una pájara. Young también, por supuesto. Pero es tal su gama de recursos, más allá de su condición de pegador, tan fino su juego corto, tan especial su precisión con los wedges, que nos vamos a hartar de verlo ahí arriba. Esta semana y otras muchas.
– Scottie Scheffler (-6) has responded today, although he still sits seven shots off the lead, as he did on Thursday after the first round. A leader, Young, who has in fact been his playing partner over the first two rounds and not only has he not felt intimidated, but rather has enjoyed and relished it. No, this Cameron Young, the guy who won THE PLAYERS and played in the marquee Sunday group at Augusta, no longer shrinks back easily, as seemed to happen years ago, especially when he had to close out a tournament.
– The world No. 1, in any case, has told us loud and clear today that he remains in the fight. He did so with a notable round of 67, tidy and virtually error-free, although still without that decisive spark to blow the scoring open. Since he won that American Express, for one reason or another, he has hardly stopped playing catch-up — almost always hovering near the top of the leaderboard, it’s true, but behind his primary objective each week he competes, which is nothing other than the lead and the final victory.
– Let’s be honest: with Jordan Spieth you can never be completely sure. But the Texan has been showing signs, gaining consistency and confidence for some time, so it will be very interesting to see on Saturday whether he is truly ready to handle the pressure (and the excitement) of finding himself once again in the final group or groups on a big tournament Sunday. He has gone too long without crossing the line that separates the most serious contenders from that other second tier of aspirants who are merely lurking, but he has experience and a good temperament in abundance and little by little we’re approaching that big day. Hopefully it will be here, at the Blue Monster, where he rediscovers that wonderful vertigo felt by the true and definitive contenders.
– Nick Taylor, Alex Smalley and Gary Woodland (-7) are right now the other options the leaderboard offers. The Canadian has won a PGA Tour event three years running and the 2026 win has yet to come. Smalley, however, is not exactly a great finisher, as he has never won an official world ranking event. And Woodland… well, you certainly have to reckon with the man from Kansas, given how he has been playing in recent weeks; and given how he has been banishing all his ghosts, day by day, minute by minute.
