Cameron Young finishes second behind Camerton Smith

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – It’s time to start taking Cameron Young seriously.

The 25-year-old PGA Tour rookie is turning into the next Scottie Scheffler: he’s done everything but win. Of course, that likely is a matter of when not if for Young who is emerging as the latest American with a bright future.

Young posted a final-round 7-under 65 at the Old Course, including an 18-foot eagle at the last, to shoot 19-under 269 and finish second to Cameron Smith at the 150th British Open. It’s not often a player shoots four rounds under par, including a 64 and 65 and doesn’t hoist a trophy Sunday, but that was the case for Young.

“It probably hurts a little worse to come up one shot short,” Young said. “If you lose by eight you don’t really care. But, yeah, I played well today. I would have signed up for 65 this morning. And to watch Cameron shoot what he did (64), it was pretty amazing.”

So far this season, Young has recorded four runner-up finishes and twice tied for third, including at the PGA Championship. He entered the week ranked No. 32 in the world and 13^th in the FedEx Cup standings. There’s nothing flukey about what the former Wake Forest product has achieved, and if he wasn’t already on Davis Love III’s short list for the U.S. Presidents Cup, he is now.

“The more I put myself there, I think I said at the PGA one of these times I’ll shoot 5-under on the back and that will be enough. And today I did, and it wasn’t,” he said. “So I guess one of these times I’ll shoot 6 on the back on Sunday and that will be enough.”

Young made bogey at the first and ninth holes on Sunday, but sandwiched four birdies in between to turn in 34. He tacked on birdies at Nos. 10, 13 and 14 before his eagle deuce at 18.

“I did everything I could,” said Young who tied for the lead momentarily at the last hole until Smith sank his tap-in birdie to seal the deal. “The way Cameron Smith chips and putts, I didn’t really think he would make a 4.”