Cameron Young Makes Strong Showing at Open Championship

The rookie player shot 8-under 64.

The rookie player shot 8-under 64.

At the 150th Open Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland, an up-and-coming golfer made an impressive mark on the game with his first appearance on the Open links. Cameron Young managed to shoot 8-under 64, putting him ahead of longtime golfer Rory McIlroy.

“I don’t think that I played a perfect round of golf,” Young said. “I scored really well. And I think we thought our way around the way you have to out there.”

What makes this score particularly impressive was the slightly hostile conditions of the course that day. The vaunted Old Course is naturally full of twists and bumps, and when coupled with the unseasonal high winds blowing through the region, it was a bit of a golf-hostile environment. Nevertheless, Young made it happen, even when other players were having difficulties.

“It’s the fiddliest Open that I’ve played. It’s the only way I can really describe it,” McIlroy said. “OK, the 18th at Carnoustie was like a runway, that fairway. But around the greens here and just all the slopes and undulations and everything, I think as the tournament progresses, you’re going to get some funny bounces and it’s going to test your patience at times.”