The First Look: CareerBuilder Challenge

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DUBLIN, Ohio — Just being at the Memorial Tournament was a reminder how far Cameron Young has come in the last year. Being part of a six-way tie for the lead Thursday was another reminder how well he is playing. In his first start since challenging at the PGA Championship, Young finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 5-under 67 on rain-softened Muirfield Village. Even with slightly softer greens, the 67 was the highest score to lead after the first round of the Memorial since 2004. And it was the second straight week on the PGA TOUR of a big logjam at the top — eight were tied after one round at Colonial. Joining Young were Luke List, Cameron Smith and K.H. Lee from the morning wave, and Mackenzie Hughes and Davis Riley each shot 67 in the afternoon. Bryson DeChambeau, in his first tournament since the Masters because of surgery on his left hand, had a 76. Harris English made his first start since the Sony Open in January because of hip surgery. He opened with a 77. A year ago, Young was coming off consecutive wins on the Korn Ferry Tour that moved him up some 300 spots in the world ranking to No. 170. Now he is at No. 30, with five top-three finishes in his rookie season, three times a runner-up. The most recent was at Southern Hills, when Young was tied for the lead heading to the 14th tee in the final round of the PGA Championship. His chances ended with a double bogey on the 16th. And then he was right back at it at the Memorial, making a 15-foot eagle on the par-5 15th on his way to a 31 on his opening nine holes, overcoming a few bogeys on the front nine and capping off another solid day with a 30-foot birdie putt. “I think we knew what was possible, but I think I’ve also gotten a lot better throughout this season,” Young said. “And having done well makes it a lot easier. If I was really fighting to keep my card for next year, I think it gets a lot harder. To have been around the lead and then finish high a few times, I think just that comfort level has gone up and I’ve been able to keep going.” The greens were firm during practice and still rolled well, though players could take aim at flags because of enough rain and cloud cover. That took some adjusting. Muirfield Village was still tough enough that bogeys were easy to find. List, who picked up his first win at Torrey Pines in January, had only one bogey in his 67. Smith was slowed by a few bogeys on the front nine after making the turn. Lee holed out from fairway on No. 9 for eagle, only to follow with back-to-back bogeys. Will Zalatoris, who lost in the PGA Championship playoff to Justin Thomas, had eight birdies in his round of 68 and wasn’t sure what to make of his round. “I did not think 68 with eight birdies was in the cards when I came out Monday, Tuesday,” Zalatoris said. He figured out the difference quickly, a wedge on the 13th hole that landed near the flag and spun back 15 feet. Earlier in the week, he saw shots like that bound over the green into trouble. What helped in any conditions was his putting. Zalatoris and 11 consecutive one-putt greens, one of those for bogey, until the streak ended when he missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth. Defending champion Patrick Cantlay didn’t find nearly as many birdies as everyone else from the morning wave, just two birdies against two bogeys for an even-par 72. Collin Morikawa, who lost to Cantlay in the playoff at the Memorial last year, had two birdies for a 71. Jon Rahm, who had a six-shot lead after 54 holes last year until having to withdraw because of a positive COVID-19 test, hit two balls in the water on the back nine and shot 72. Young recalls meeting Jack Nicklaus, the tournament host, at Pebble Beach in 2019 for the U.S. Open when he qualified for his first major as an amateur. It was special for at least one of them. “I’m sure he wouldn’t remember,” Young said. “He was walking at me and I said, ‘Hi, I’m Cameron.’ And he was very nice. Said hello and kind of moved on. But I was nobody. I just got out of college. So that’s really the only time I’ve been able to interact with him.” Nicklaus is always by the 18th green on Sunday to shake hands with the winner. That would be memorable.

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Local favorite Abraham Ancer is ready this time. When the World Golf Championships moved to Mexico, an exemption category was included to ensure the best Mexican player in the world would be included. In the first two iterations of the event at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City, some in the main stream dismissed the place in the field as nothing more than placating the local fans. But it was always included for a much deeper purpose – a purpose that is coming to fruition. As the title suggests the World Golf Championship–Mexico Championships is about bringing together the world’s best golfers. It’s also about growing the game across the globe. Showcasing the wide array of talent. And while Lorena Ochoa had been a dominant force at the top of women’s golf for Mexico, the men’s game had failed to really take any sort of foothold in the sport. Until now. Those in the know were not concerned when Roberto Diaz was given the first WGC–Mexico Championship exemption two years ago with his world ranking nearing 500. At the time Ancer was in the 700s but looked up and saw a serious attainable goal. All of his contemporaries did. A year later it was Ancer, now 260th in the world, who got the spot. It was the start of a serious drive that now sees four Mexican players on the PGA TOUR this season in Ancer, Diaz, Jose de Jesus Rodriguez and Carlos Ortiz. The most the country has ever boasted at one time. Ancer returns to Mexico City this season ranked 61st in the world, a ranking that while is outside the top 50 who get automatic invites, would have netted him a place regardless of his heritage thanks to a handful of withdrawals. He is the current Australian Open champion having travelled down under to win in Sydney last November, a result he followed up with a T2 for Mexico with Diaz at the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf. He truly belongs on this stage. So much so he’s been slated to play with 80-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods in the opening two rounds. And this time – thanks in part to last season’s experience – he’s ready. “Last year was my first WGC in my career and while I had so much support and had a lot of fun, I put a little bit too much pressure on myself to play really well,� Ancer said. “I certainly learned from that and I intend to try to make a better appearance this year. My game has elevated. “After Mexico City last year I started playing some really solid golf and it gave me a lot of confidence. I also got a win in Australia which gave me more confidence. It showed me I can win. I feel I am way better prepared this year.� The results show Ancer’s words aren’t just cliched lip service. Over his next three starts he finished no worse than 16th. At the Quicken Loans National in the summer Ancer shot a blistering third-round 62 to share the 54-hole lead with Francesco Molinari. History shows the Italian played a near flawless final round to win before weeks later doing so again at The Open Championship. No one would’ve beaten Molinari that day. Ancer responded with another top-5 finish at the RBC Canadian Open before once again contending heavily at the Dell Technologies Championship where he led after 54 holes but faded to seventh. Learning to close out tournaments is a process. Ancer found a way in Australia, much like Jordan Spieth did as a youngster before going ballistic the following season to win two majors, five events and the FedExCup. Ancer isn’t banking on five wins this season but he already has two top 10s and is a solid 42nd in the FedExCup standings heading into this week. One goal firmly in his mind in making the International Presidents Cup team. If he is able to do so, he will be the first ever Mexican player to take part. Ancer is currently sixth on the points list. “It’s obviously early now but I think about it every time I tee it up. I use it as drive, keeping in my mind that I am also playing for something else, something bigger than myself,� Ancer admits. “It is a primary goal of mine this year. I know that if I make that team it means I have had a successful season – it is something that I am really looking forward to. I love playing in a team atmosphere. And I couldn’t ask for a better stage to do that than the Presidents Cup.� International team captain Ernie Els is a fan. He paid close attention to Ancer’s form in Australia. After all, the 2019 Presidents Cup is being held at Royal Melbourne. Els expects to add at least a few new countries to the 14 who have previously been represented. Along with Mexico (Ancer) and China (Haotong Li) being likely to come aboard the likes of Chinese Taipei (C.T. Pan), Chile (Joaquin Niemann), Malaysia (Gavin Green) and the Philippines (Miguel Tabuena) have the chance to surge into contention. “It would be really amazing to be the person to add Mexico to the list for the first time,� Ancer says. “This year is very exciting for Mexico. Not only in the men’s side but the women also. Mexican golf is trending in the right direction and we are all very excited about that and very determined to take Mexico and golf to the next level.� A win on the PGA TOUR is not far away for Ancer. And winning on home soil this week is seriously not out of the question. But to the thousands of Mexican fans watching this week he is already a winner. Ancer is happy to be someone they can get behind. “I like challenges and I try to be a role model on the golf course,� he says. “I am not trying to stand up and say you should be like me… I just try to do my best every time I’m out there. I take this game, and my place in it, very seriously and hopefully that can inspire some young people to start golf.�

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