This year’s Travelers Championship was already figuring to be a wild shootout, with last year’s tournament record of 23 under in jeopardy through 36 holes. But now it’s historic.
Going off in just the 11th group of the day, more than four hours before the leaders, Cameron Young set fire to TPC River Highlands, making seven birdies and two eagles (both on par-4s), posting an 11-under 59 to tie Tom Kim’s 36-hole lead before he even started his third round.
Young made a clutch par on the 18th hole after hitting his tee shot on the closing hole into a bunker face and being forced to play his second from an awkward stance. His approach came up well short, as did his chip, but from 10 feet, his par effort just snuck in the left side of the hole for the record round.
It’s the 13th round of 60 or better on the PGA Tour, but the first in four years when Scottie Scheffler, then a PGA Tour rookie, made 12 birdies at TPC Boston for a 59. However, Young’s round does not even set the TPC River Highland’s course record as Jim Furyk owns that mark after setting the PGA Tour scoring mark with a 12-under 58 in Cromwell, Connecticut in 2016.
Young started the day in a tie for 43rd in the limited-field, no-cut Signature Event but began his third round by playing the first four holes in five under, highlighted by holing his second shot from 142 yards on the par-4 third. He added two more birdies on 8 and 9 to turn in 28.
The talented third-year PGA Tour pro, who is still searching for his first PGA Tour win cruised through the day, despite hitting just six fairways. He made up for it by hitting 15 greens and making 115′ 11 worth of putts on just 24 strokes on the greens.
After a birdie on 13, Young stuffed his tee shot on the drivable par-4 15th to just four feet for nearly a kick in eagle. The 27-year-old birdied 17 to get to the magical number in relation to par and then made the clutch up and down at the last to etch his name into history.
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Young’s low round is the latest in a record run of low scores lately in professional golf. U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau shot a 58 last summer during a LIV Golf event. Joaquin Niemann also broke 60, posting a 59, in February at another LIV event.
The very next week, Cristobal Del Solar became the first player to shoot a 57 in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Golf Championship. The next day, 19-year-old Aldrich Potgieter added a 59 of his own. Young’s round is the seventh sub-60 round on a global tour in 2024.
Nick Dunlap, Wyndham Clark and Nick Taylor each had shot 60 this season on the PGA Tour, the lowest rounds of the season until Saturday. Each player won the respective event, Dunlap accomplishing the feat while still an amateur.
Clark and Taylor both played their rounds under lift, clean and place conditions, as Young did Saturday. Preferred lies were also in effect Friday at the Travelers due to forecasted heavy rains which ultimately delayed play by more than three hours.
Aside from Furyk’s 58 eight years ago, TPC Riverlands is still no stranger to players taking it deep. Both Denny McCarthy and Rickie Fowler shot 60 last year as Keegan Bradley ended up setting the four-day tournament scoring record of 23-under 257.
TPC River Highlands now joins the Greenbrier’s Old White TPC course as the only PGA Tour hosts to give up multiple sub-60 rounds. DeChambeau’s 58 last summer also came at the Old White.
