Different Strokes: Cameron Young closing in on tournament win

A matter of time, surely, for Cameron Young to crack the code and finally win a tournament.

Young’s recent form – with two timely top 10s in last month’s Truist and last week’s RBC Canadian Open – has marked an upturn evident in moving into the top 60 in the world rankings but also in securing his place in the season’s final two Majors, this week’s US Open at Oakmont and next month’s 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

In his 89 starts on the PGA Tour since turning professional, after a standout collegiate career at Wake Forest, where Dubliner Paul McBride and Will Zalatoris were team-mates, Young has finished second seven times.

“My game is in totally different shape than it was a couple months ago. I’ve come a very, very long way on execution of all the iron play, in particular. I’ve been putting really well this year. So nice to see that kind of come back to me. Seems to be giving me some decent chances to have nice tournaments,” said Young, on a run of five straight cuts made, who’d earned his place in the field at Oakmont in the final qualifying stage.

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Dentist Matt Vogt eyes US Open dream

It’s Kevin Costner Field of Dreams stuff for Matt Vogt, the 34-year-old dentist who once upon a time caddied – through his teenage years – at Oakmont Country Club and now gets to play in the US Open.

Vogt negotiated a path to the championship through local qualifying and then at final qualifying (wisely choosing the low-key Wine Valley course in Washington, away from the PGA Tour pros who battled it out in Ohio and Canada) last week.

Vogt will play with a dark-blue ribbon attached to his Titleist cap in memory of his father Jim, who died earlier this year from colon cancer. “I’ve just spent so much time praying for strength and trying to find it ... I knew I could do it,” he said after he successfully earned his spot in the field, one of 15 amateurs to make it through the various exemptions.

“I feel like I’m going to wake up from a dream here in a little while and this isn’t going to be real, but it is real. You walk around Oakmont as a kid, and you think about what it’d be like to play in championships there. You just kind of daydream,” added Vogt, who will be back in his dental practice next week. For now, he’s living the dream.

Outlook seems stormy for later rounds at Oakmont

Will the weather be a spoilsport at Oakmont?

Certainly, those in the know have put a major question mark over the chances of completing the weekend’s final two rounds of the US Open on schedule with the prospect of thunderstorms in the Pittsburgh area.

According to on-site Thor Guard meteorologists Eric Garlick and Jake Swick, there is only a minimal chance of disruption through the opening two rounds (with a 20 per cent chance of rain on Friday afternoon) but the weekend looks likely to be impacted by thunderstorms.

On Saturday, there is a 40 per cent prospect of rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon; and an almost identical forecast in place for Sunday’s scheduled final round.

Monday finish anyone?

Word of Mouth

“I feel like I’m still pretty far away from winning one” – Joaquin Niemann, the 26-year-old Chilean who has dominated the LIV Golf tour this season, his win in Virginia on Sunday bringing to four his success rate so far this year, on bridging the gap to also winning a Major.

By the Numbers: 11

Of the 156 players in the field, 11 have previously lifted the US Open trophy: Wyndham Clark (2023), Bryson DeChambeau (2020, ‘24), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Lucas Glover (2009), Dustin Johnson (2016), Brooks Koepka (2017, ‘18), Rory McIlroy (2011), Jon Rahm (2021), Justin Rose (2013), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Gary Woodland (2019).

Social Swing

Ryan Fox’s pace of play is aspirational! – fellow tour pro Michael Kim impressed by Fox’s, er, speed. Others could learn a lesson or two.

Great tournament, great people, disappointing finish ... Thank you Canada @RBCCanadianOpen – Shane Lowry on getting into contention only for a poor finish to ultimately finish tied-13th and in decent form headed into the US Open. Lowry ranked third in strokes gained: approach to green, a likely key statistic category at Oakmont which augurs well.

Note to self ... don’t do mirror putting work in the middle of the day #nofilter – Justin Thomas seeing the funny – or even sunny – side of his practice putting routine at Oakmont.

Ryan Fox’s win in the RBC Canadian Open earned him a late exemption into the US Open. Photograph: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

In the Bag: Ryan Fox (RBC Canadian Open)

Driver: Srixon ZXi (10.5 degrees)

3-wood: Srixon ZXi (16.5 degrees)

Irons: Srixon ZXiU (2), Srixon ZXi5 (4, 5), Srixon ZXi7 (6-PW)

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50, 56 and 60 degrees)

Putter: Ping Answer 2D

Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

*Ryan Fox’s playoff win over Sam Burns in the RBC Canadian Open earned him a late exemption into the US Open. The Kiwi’s second win of the season on the PGA Tour moved him from 75th to 32nd in the official world rankings. In all, six players – Fox, Doug Ghim, Takumi Kanaya, Chase Johnson, Riki Kawamoto and Eric Cole – were added to the field to complete the 156 players competing at Oakmont.