Cameron Young may have won the 52nd edition of THE PLAYERS Championship, but he hadn’t held the lead for a single moment in the entire event until the very last hole. He then pulled even with Matt Fitzpatrick after a clutch birdie on the iconic 17th hole and overtook him with a par on the final hole. So not many people had high expectations for him right off the bat, but Amanda Balionis of CBS Sports wasn’t one of them…

So, immediately after Young’s win, Balionis took to Instagram and posted:

“Insane performance on the final stretch by Cam Young. For all you fantasy golfers out there, I’d have this guy as a top pick in all 4 majors. It’s coming.”

Moments later, Balionis shared a Monday Q Info post that traced Young’s journey from the start. It began at a Monday qualifier in Nebraska during the 2021 season when Young had no status and was essentially playing for his job. He finished 11th at the event to earn a start in the next event and finished 14th that week. He then finished 6th in his third start before a runner-up finish at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.

From there, he never looked back. That same May, he won back-to-back titles at the AdventHealth Championship and the Evans Scholars Invitational and eventually secured his PGA Tour card for the 2021-2022 season.

In 2022, Young was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year (Arnold Palmer Award) after a season that saw him earn over $6.5 million. He recorded five runner-up finishes, most notably a solo second at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews and a T3 at the PGA Championship.

Fast forward to this season, Young arrived at TPC Sawgrass after posting a T7 at the Genesis Invitational and a T3 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He started the first round with a 4-under 68 and followed that with a 67, 72, and 68 to win his second title on the Tour with a 13-under total.

And there are also some highlight moments from his victory:

• Young’s final-round rally from four strokes back of 54-hole leader Ludvig Åberg matched the largest comeback of the season so far.
•  And his 375-yard drive on the final hole wasn’t just one of the best shots of his life; it was the longest shot ever recorded on the 18th hole in the ShotLink era.
•  He became the first player since Rickie Fowler in 2015 to win the event after making birdies on the iconic 17th hole 3 or more times in the four rounds.

So, Balionis’ take is undoubtedly gracious, but she isn’t the first one to predict something like this.

Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas saw it early

Four years ago, in March 2022, Billy Horschel played two rounds with Young at the Honda Classic and was so moved by the rookie’s game that he issued an unsolicited shoutout on his social media.

“Just watching him, I felt like he’s got the potential to be a global superstar who’s going to win majors,” Horschel told The Post. “Honestly, he could have walked away with two or three majors last year.”

The 39-year-old saw something special in the way the kid hit the ball and stayed calm and described his rise as totally insane.

Justin Thomas also saw the same grit during the 2022 Genesis Invitational. Thomas thought it was the worst possible start for a new player in a moment. But Young proved him wrong, hitting that one out to about 12 feet and saving the par like a pro.

“I remember a kind of thinking, ‘Oh, wow, that’s pretty impressive.’ A couple of holes go by, he makes another birdie, and all of a sudden we’re on 14, and he’s like two [shots] back. I just looked at Bones [Mackay, Thomas’ caddie], and I’m like, ‘This kid’s really good. He’s handled this moment unbelievably.’ And he continued to do that the rest of the year. I think he’s going to have an unbelievable career,’’ Thomas said.

Back in 2022, Young’s career was still in its infancy, and he had yet to claim his first victory. But now, he has the Wyndham Championship title and golf’s “Fifth Major” in his cabinet and is looking toward the 2026 season with a singular focus: to win.