Cameron Young loses Bethpage Black course record, gains U.S. Open berth

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Cameron Young lost one distinction recently, which was fine with him in light of another one that he gained. That is to say, qualifying for his first U.S. Open more than made up for seeing his share of the course record at Bethpage Black disappear.

“It’s been great so far,” the 22-year-old amateur from Scarborough, N.Y. said on the practice area Tuesday. “Obviously coming to a beautiful place like this is fun and watching some of these guys behind me on the range has been fun. I got to play with Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry this morning, and I enjoyed just watching how they go about it.”

He watched the PGA Championship on TV last month and saw eventual champion Brooks Koepka shoot 63 on the Black Course, going one shot lower than the record Young had tied in 2017 while becoming the first amateur to win the New York State Open. “It was obviously kind of a bummer to have that taken away from me, but hey, they play in such different conditions. The New York State Open is a nice event but to do that in a major is a totally different story,” he said.

Young’s mother Barbara has been caddying for him so far this week, as she did at Friar’s Head in Riverhead four years ago when Cameron became the youngest winner of the Ike Tournament. She will be replaced by her husband, David, head pro at Sleepy Hollow Club, starting Thursday. “I guess it’s like a dream come true. We always knew he had the potential to qualify but until you actually do, you can never be sure,” she said. “We’re thrilled to be here and as excited as we can be.”

Hagestad's third straight

Stewart Hagestad, a member at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, is the first amateur in 34 years (since Jay Sigel) to qualify for three consecutive U.S. Opens. The California resident took a leave from his job with a Los Angeles investment company last month to prepare at Deepdale. “You can go and practice and do whatever you want to do,” he said on the range, wearing his Deepdale cap. “But forget about the golf, the people who play there and spend time there, it’s an awesome group.”