GREENSBORO, N.C. – Cameron Young positioned himself at the top of the Wyndham Championship after an outstanding performance in the second round. Consequently, he achieved two birdies that catapulted him above the defending champion, Aaron Rai. The round was interrupted by the arrival of storms, just as Young was preparing for his shot on the 16th hole, a par 3, leaving the ball only six feet from the hole. The resumption of the second round is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 a.m., and the third round will be played in groups of three, starting on both sides of the course at Sedgefield Country Club. Young, recognized as one of the best players who has yet to win in a major tournament, has been close on several occasions, including seven second-place finishes on the PGA Tour, one of them at the British Open in St. Andrews. At the time of suspension, Young was at 14 under par. Rai, who won his first PGA Tour title at last year’s Wyndham Championship, was at 13 under par and had missed the green on the 14th hole. Mac Meissner carded a 63, seven-under-par, while Sungjae Im posted a 64. Mark Hubbard, with a round of 66, was one stroke behind. The Wyndham Championship is the last tournament of the regular season, where the top 70 players will advance to the lucrative postseason. The 36-hole cut was shaping up at 4-under par, or possibly 3-under par if conditions worsened when play resumed on Saturday, which would mean the end of the season for players like Adam Hadwin and Zach Johnson. Max Homa, with a shot under par and five holes to play, desperately needed birdies and a great weekend to avoid missing the playoffs. Adam Scott, ranked 85th in the FedEx Cup, was 4 under par and playing the 15th hole. Young, ranked 40th in the FedEx Cup, has no such concerns. His goal is to reach the Tour Championship and accumulate as many points as possible for Ryder Cup consideration. Young, with roots in New York, has the Ryder Cup on the horizon, especially since the PGA of America announced that it will be played at Bethpage Black on Long Island. Even with a win this week, Young could move up to number 15 in the rankings. The top six automatically qualify in three weeks, after the BMW Championship.
Meissner, in 152nd place, would need to win to advance. Furthermore, finishing in the top 100 at the end of the fall events to keep his card is at stake. Gary Woodland starred in the shot of the day, a 7-iron on the 5th hole, a par 5, which turned into an albatross. He finished with 64 strokes and would have the opportunity to participate in the postseason with a great week at Sedgefield.For me, it’s not necessarily about this week. I have a goal. By mid-September, I’d like to be in New York playing on that Ryder Cup team. If I can achieve that, I can achieve many things in these next four weeks. So I’m trying to keep that in mind instead of the small things along the way.
Cameron Young
I’ve been playing well for a while, and Randy Smith, my coach, has been urging me to be patient, to try to make the required shot and to have fun. When you don’t get the results you want, that’s probably the hardest part, having a little fun.
Gary Woodland
