– The first round of the Cadillac Championship finished with Cameron Young (-8) at the top of the leaderboard, as playing conditions became slightly tougher as the afternoon progressed due to the wind. The best score from the final third of the field was a valuable 66 with no bogeys from Nick Taylor.
– The Blue Monster may not intimidate as much as it once did, but it remains a very demanding test, especially when the wind blows. The proof is that in a tournament where 66 of the 72 competitors are inside the world top 100, only half have beaten the course today.
– News and commentary about the future of LIV Golf, whether you like it or not, are attracting the spotlight in this Signature Event week. Most of the players in Miami who were asked prefer not to kick someone when they’re down and, broadly speaking, almost everyone agrees that LIV players could return in the future… But they should pay whatever price they have to pay, as happened in the case of Brooks Koepka. The assessment from someone with many years on tour like Lucas Glover sums up the general feeling: “I respect people and golfers because they are people first, and my colleagues afterwards. I would never reproach anyone for making a decision to improve their career, their life, or whatever. But do I think they should follow the established path and pay the same penalties that previous players paid? Of course I do”.
– Cameron Young, the leader, is honest above all else. He made his debut on the Blue Monster (he had never played it before, not even as an amateur) with a brilliant 64 and certainly did many things right to reach that number, but luck also plays a part when it comes down to it: “I feel like I made billion‑foot putts, which I think works on most courses. It was just one of those days where every mistake I made didn’t penalise me as much as it could have. And every time my ball got near the hole, it seemed like it wanted to go in,” he said. In any case, and despite that Sunday 73 at the Masters that took him out of the winning equation, Young’s shadow is growing ever longer. It would be unusual not to see him fighting again in one of the three Majors remaining this season.
– The one who still hasn’t got going is Viktor Hovland (+3). Today he waved goodbye to his chances of victory with a 75 and that tenth place he achieved in Phoenix months ago remains his best result of the year. The Norwegian is still wrapped up in countless technical tweaks and hasn’t found the key yet, but he’s a great competitor and that 13th place at THE PLAYERS or the 18th at the Masters should not be underestimated.
