After a third place finish at the PGA Championship a couple months ago, Cameron Young might have been on the radar of bettors this week at The Open Championship. But the events that followed tempered any expectations for the 25-year-old to compete for his first major championship.
He missed the cut in each of his last two events, including the U.S. Open last month, following an 84 in the final round of the Memorial. So, he entered The Open with a very long +10000 odds at Tipico Sportsbook to come out on top.
Naturally, Young went out and shot the lowest Open Championship debut round in the modern era, according to Justin Ray of Twenty First Group.
Cameron Young opens with a 64 in the first round 🔥
That is the lowest career debut round at the Open Championship in the modern era
(h/t @JustinRayGolf)
Can anyone catch Cam today? 👀 pic.twitter.com/oUblkWzNv8
— GolfBet (@GolfBet) July 14, 2022
Cameron Young's 64 is the 2nd-lowest opening round score by a player in an Open at St Andrews (63 by Rory McIlroy in 2010).
Cameron Smith's 67 ties his lowest opening round score in a major championship.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) July 14, 2022
SEVEN birdies in 12 holes for Cam Young to begin his opening round.#TheOpenpic.twitter.com/gm7GAX0D7Q
— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) July 14, 2022
Young’s incredible 64 (-8) obviously had him in the lead once his round wrapped, as it’s the second-lowest opening round ever in an Open at St. Andrews Links. But it also matched the lowest opening round at The Open regardless of course since Phil Mickelson shot a 63 in 2016. Louis Oosthuizen, who shot a 64 last year, is the only other player in the last 10 years with an opening round score as low.
Young’s odds to win are now down to +1000, which are much shorter but still provides awesome value. Only 10 opening-round leaders in the past 10 years failed to finish in the top six, and two ended up winning — Jordan Spieth in 2017 and Rory McIlroy in 2014. McIlroy, who finished two strokes back, remains the favorite at +425.
