Mar 16, 2026, 09:20 AM ET
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Players Championship may not be an official major, but the PGA Tour’s flagship event produced another dramatic finish at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.
Cameron Young claimed the biggest victory of his career, chasing down 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick over the final two holes to win by one. Young closed with a 4-under 68 and finished at 13-under 275, one stroke ahead of Fitzpatrick and two ahead of Xander Schauffele.
Young’s strong Ryder Cup play for the U.S. team at Bethpage last September — where he earned four points — helped him connect with the crowd at Sawgrass.
“It definitely helps,” Young said. “It just provides you some kind of context for how you can perform and how you can think when you feel that way. Dealing with nerves is tricky. Your senses are kind of heightened.”
Here’s a look at the weekend’s top winners and notable disappointments:
Winner: Cameron Young
Young needed 94 starts for his breakout PGA Tour win and had endured seven runner-up finishes, the most by any player since 1983. After finally breaking through at the Wyndham Championship in August 2025, his second victory came much sooner.
The 28-year-old tied Fitzpatrick with a memorable birdie on the island-green 17th and sealed the title with a par on the daunting 18th. He executed a 57-degree wedge and a 9½-foot birdie putt on No. 17, then ripped a 375-yard drive on 18 — the longest in the ShotLink era at that hole.
“The stadium atmosphere out there is unbelievable,” Young said. “It’s so loud on 17. The way everything is raised, you just know kind of all eyes are right there on you. So there’s nowhere to hide, and I feel like I stepped up really well and hit a bunch of good shots [on] those last couple holes, so I’m very proud of that.”
Young admitted his driving was uneven through the week but said he committed when it mattered: “My thought process over that ball is, one, making sure that I’m committed to my line, and two, the overarching thought is I’m going to hit the best shot of my life right here.”
Loser: Ludvig Åberg
Åberg, 26, began the final round with a three-shot lead and was two ahead after nine, but his back nine unraveled. A poor 7-wood approach from 267 yards on No. 11 led to a water ball and a bogey 6. On the short par-4 12th, he opted for driver, hooked the tee shot into the water and carded a double-bogey 6, effectively ending his chances.
“It was a poor swing, a really poor swing, and it definitely stings a little bit,” Åberg said of his driver on 12. He finished with a 4-over 76 and tied for fifth at 9 under, reflecting on nerves but hoping to learn for next time.
Winner: Sudarshan Yellamaraju
The PGA Tour rookie made a major impression in his Players debut, shooting 10 under over the final 36 holes to finish tied for fifth at 9 under — his best tour result. Born in India and raised from age 4 in Winnipeg, he learned by watching YouTube videos of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, practiced mostly indoors and has never had a formal swing coach, relying on his father and caddie for feedback.
Yellamaraju excelled across the board: fourth in strokes gained: putting (5.501), 15th in approach (4.503) and tied for second in driving distance (311.2 yards). The finish moved him from 216th to 145th in the Official World Golf Ranking and earned him $925,000.
“I know I can compete and contend, and I have a lot of belief in myself, but that results-based confidence is something you can’t match,” he said. “I just wanted to play one shot at a time, play the best golf that I could. I stayed patient. I fought until the very end and never gave up.”
Loser: Rory McIlroy
A back issue limited McIlroy all week and kept him from mounting a serious defense of his Players title. He arrived at TPC Sawgrass on Wednesday, skipped a practice round and looked rusty, especially on the greens. Still, he battled to make the cut and finished tied for 46th at even par.
“[I’m] happy I got through four days and my body feels good,” McIlroy said. “I feel like my game sort of progressively got a little bit better as the week went on, even though the scores probably didn’t reflect it over the weekend. I hit the ball well. I just didn’t make anything on the greens.” He was unsure whether he’d play again before the Masters.
Winner: Xander Schauffele
Schauffele showed signs of returning to major-contender form after battling a rib injury in 2025. He birdied three of the last four holes, including a 20½-foot putt on 18, to post 11 under and become the clubhouse leader for a time. Though he came up short, the performance bodes well for Augusta.
“A lot of good things,” Schauffele said. “I’d say my approach was really good through the first couple rounds. I’d say it was pretty solid this week. Didn’t miss a fairway. [I] would like to clean the putter up just a little bit. I feel like I’m missing some of those inside 5- to 10-foot range. Other than that, I’ve got time.”
