WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 26, 2023

Cameron Young

Austin Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Cameron Young. Some opening thoughts here before we roll into questions?

CAMERON YOUNG: I think I played really nicely. I was a million under for the week. I think I maybe made three bogeys for the tournament. So I think my game's in a great place. Obviously, frustrating to lose this afternoon. But, I mean, it's really easy to think that you're so close. There's only one guy standing between you and winning a tournament, but that one guy is Sam Burns playing pretty well. So it's never an easy one.

THE MODERATOR: With that, we'll roll into questions.

Q. It's all the same for everyone, I guess, Cam, but this was your first go-around getting this far deep. Is it difficult at all to keep -- especially with a high-intensity match with Rory, to kind of keep that going? And is it possible that when you started slipping, that you started slipping fast?

CAMERON YOUNG: It can be hard. I feel like I did actually a pretty good job of that. I didn't play poorly this afternoon. I mean, I think I was -- I think I was 3-under par or 2-under par. I think 2. And Sam, obviously, made that look bad. But I don't think I actually really played poorly. I just didn't get a ton out of it. I missed a bunch of putts that I hit where I meant to, just struggled reading 'em a little bit. So, yeah, that's it.

Q. Of your close calls, is this the least disappointing just because of the nature and the way you played all week?

CAMERON YOUNG: That's not the best question. I mean, they're all disappointing. I don't know. I finished second again. It's a little frustrating. But I beat some really good players this week and I played some good golf, so I can't complain.

Q. This was your first week with Paul and he's quite a talker and you're a little on the quiet side. Is that partly why you guys got along so well or how would you explain the chemistry and why you got along so well and obviously the 27 for your first nine holes together?

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, that was a nice start. No, I think it was really easy just because I've played so much with Webb with him on the bag. He is definitely a talker, but I think we have more in common, I think, than it might look on the surface, just the way we think, kind of what we're interested in. Just talking about it out there, I feel like it's really easy to talk to him. We have good conversation. And it was just easy personally between the two of us. I think the time that we spent beforehand playing practice rounds just made the transition very simple and it really couldn't have gone much better.

Q. What are you both interested in?

CAMERON YOUNG: I don't know, we talk a lot of golf. We just talk, like, kind of how I do things. And he's still in the mode of asking a lot of questions and trying to learn about how I play the game, which is great. It's making me think about how I play the game and kind of learning -- he's so positive. If I say something that sounds a little wonky, he's like, No, buddy, I love that. It's interesting that you think about it that way.

So I think it just went really well in terms of that. He's learning very quickly and he's helping me a lot right off the bat.

Q. As you mentioned, Sam played a really well this whole week, but he had eight birdies in 10 holes against you. I mean, that's even above and beyond by his standards.

CAMERON YOUNG: That's a huge bummer, yeah.

Q. When you're facing something like that -- like, I was watching on 11 when he was outside and he still hit his putt, and you made yours, to your credit, to follow him. Is there something sort of quietly devastating when you happen to run into this unbelievable hot stretch in such a big match?

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, it's one of those, you know that at any point he can do that. It's just one of those you got to take your hat off and say, good playing. Obviously I would have loved to have given him more of a match and I think most of the rounds I played this week would have given had him more of a match. He's obviously a great player and it's just one of those you take your hat over and say, congratulations, and move on, because there might not have been anybody beating him today the way he played.

Q. Do you feel like you were, looking at the whole week the best player? The numbers may seem to suggest that, some of the stats, like?

CAMERON YOUNG: I mean, yeah, I've seen the strokes gained stats and I know I was at the top of that list for a long time. So I think if it had been a stroke play tournament, who knows. You never know. Because I could have played totally differently. Maybe I start with a 31 and not a 27. So it's hard to say. I played really well I'm really happy with where my game's at and I'm just excited for the next couple weeks coming up to Augusta and then Hilton Head.

Q. You never told Sam, just knock it off?

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, no, I did not. I figured that probably would have just upset him a little further.

Q. The hole, No. 9, did you feel like, boy, that was a chance where you kind of let a chance get away and you had that great drive?

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, I mean, I felt like that kind of on every hole. I feel like I missed a putt on every hole for quite awhile there. 9 I was happy with. I hit a really good putt. I just over read it a little bit. The shot to get there I was in an -- I don't know if they showed it on TV I was in a pretty deep divot in the fairway and I hit a perfect drive and it was just of those days. But happy that I -- I didn't complain and just kept my head down, hit the shot, and missed the putt, but I hit a good putt, so I can't complain about that.

Q. How do you feel like this prepares you and gives you some confidence for the majors since you've obviously had some success in the majors?

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, it's a part of the year that I really like. Starting with, really, Phoenix, you get Phoenix, Riviera, and then Bay Hill, PLAYERS here, Augusta. It's just a great run of golf. So I think it's a really nice time for me to be getting comfortable with my game and I'm just really happy with where I'm at at the moment.

Q. Growing up watching the World Golf Championships, what are your best memories about those tournaments and especially the match play?

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, well, I think as a kid, that was right around the time when Tiger just won all of 'em. So, I mean, I remember watching this one a bit, more so the last few years when it was at this golf course. I remember more about that. But no, it's something that I kind of saw as a kid. Not quite like the majors, but they were their own thing that was really cool. They kind of filled a unique space. It's been really fun the last two years getting to come play this one, unfortunately, the only one left. But it's been a lot of fun. It's a different experience. You get the best 64 players in the world in one place and it's just been a lot of fun competing. You just know every year this is who you're going to get and it's just fun testing yourself against that group of guys.

Q. Probably meaningless at this point now, but I'm really curious about the 12th hole, the extra hole, against Rory this morning. I mean, 170 for your third doesn't look like an ideal spot, but I don't know what kind of -- what was the lie like in the bunker and just if you can talk about the hole.

CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, I was really proud of that one, honestly. I hit the same tee shot three rounds in a row, which is -- I think I screamed something that shouldn't be repeated off the 12th tee against Sam. But, yeah, it's just -- it got under that -- that bunker is fine. It just got under the lip kind of in the far right end of it, which is really unfortunate. So I just hacked it out. That was my only play. And I actually -- I think I had a very similar shot to a similar hole location last year, same wind, and Paul was kind of like, I don't know if you can stop it. And I just -- it just was one I knew I could. It was a really good number. I had pitching wedge. It was like 157 to cover that slope, and just a little bit of help. I was -- a little bit of nerves running. Sometimes it just helps, sometimes it let's you do things that you can't otherwise and that's one of those times. I think if that was on Thursday at whatever tournament it might not be one that I can get there. But in that moment, I just knew I could. And really happy to make the putt. I mean, I missed everything the whole match, I feel like -- probably isn't true. I'm probably just really negative. But yeah, just really happy to see that one go in and get to keep playing.

Q. (No Microphone.)

CAMERON YOUNG: That was definitely cool. It was just a really cool start with Paul. Honestly, I think the match with Rory was really cool. I was 2-down for it felt like an eternity. But just kind of kept doing what I felt was best on every shot and eventually he kind of made a mistake on 16 and let me win that hole with birdie, which I would not have thought in a million years.

And then he let me away with one on 18 too, making par. I just hit the best putt I hit the whole day right in the middle. So got to keep playing, and then obviously just walked you through 12. So that was really cool.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for the time, Cameron.

CAMERON YOUNG: No problem.