Cameron Young watches his tee shot off on the fifth hole during the final round ofThe Players Championship at The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Sunday March 15, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — American Cameron Young clinched his second PGA Tour title and the biggest win of his career with a sensational one-shot victory at The Players Championship on Sunday after a drama-laden afternoon at TPC Sawgrass.
One stroke behind England’s Matt Fitzpatrick with two holes to play, Young drew level with a birdie at the par-3 17th after hitting a brilliant tee shot to 9-1/2 feet and then safely parred the last to card a 4-under-par 68.
That left him at 13-under 275 in the PGA Tour’s flagship event and one ahead of Fitzpatrick, who also closed with a 68 after his tee shot at the 18th wound up on pine straw in the treeline to the right of the fairway and led to a bogey five.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who had led the tournament by three shots overnight, was two ahead with eight holes to play on Sunday before his title bid unraveled with a bogey at the par-5 11th and a double-bogey at the par-4 12th. He had to settle for a share of fifth place at 9 under after returning a 76.
Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele closed with a 69 to claim third place at 11 under, a stroke in front of Scotland’s World No. 8 Robert MacIntyre, who also signed off with a 69.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the Players champion in 2023 and 2024, ended his week at TPC Sawgrass with a 1-under 71 to finish in a tie for 22nd at 5 under.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, the World No. 2, was left to reflect on “not the week that I wanted” after he signed off with a 71 and an even-par total, tied for 46th.
The Northern Irishman withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational after two rounds due to a back injury and he did not play a single practice round at TPC Sawgrass after only arriving at the venue on the eve of the tournament.
–Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
