Young, DeChambeau lift USA as Ryder Cup momentum grows at Bethpage

Cameron Young sparked a US rally Saturday, helping Bryson DeChambeau clinch the opening point for Team USA in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. The rookie and DeChambeau defeated Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick 4&2, giving the Americans their first win of the day. The morning atmosphere was unusually energized, with a 9 a.m. countdown as bars around the course opened and fans roared.

Young and DeChambeau built the lead through a sequence of solid plays and timely life-lining moments. On the first hole, after a booming DeChambeau drive, Young stuck his pitch a few inches from the hole, and on the third he chipped in to win a hole. They reached the seventh green all square, then surged to a three-up advantage by the 10th and never relinquished it. Young's nerveless putt at the seventh helped restore red to the scoreboard, and his tee shot to a few feet on the eighth kept the pressure on Europe. DeChambeau cemented the win on the 16th with a precise approach that left the ball close for the clinching par.

Earlier in the week, Young had already begun to stamp his mark on the event. In Friday afternoon fourballs, he linked with Justin Thomas for a 6&5 victory over Ludvig Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard, a result that helped set the tone for a strong US showing. The Saturday win marked Young’s second straight positive result and left him 2-0 in Ryder Cup play entering the weekend’s conclusions.

It also fed into a broader narrative around Team USA’s lineup decisions. Questions surfaced this week about why Young was left out of the opening morning pairing, though the captain leaned on his familiarity with Bethpage and the local kid’s credentials. Young, a native New Yorker who grew up not far from here and honed his game at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, remains a symbol of the event’s personal connections.

Young’s early success underlines a potentially pivotal shift for Team USA as the weekend progresses. He has been a steadying presence and a spark at the right moments, staking a claim as one of the event’s standout performers through two sessions. If Team USA can sustain this momentum, Young’s performance — anchored by his local ties and growing Ryder Cup poise — could be a catalyst for a broader rally against Europe.

Born near Bethpage and educated in the area, Young’s path to this moment is deeply rooted in New York golf history. He set the Bethpage Black course record as an amateur in 2017 and carried that local familiarity into Saturday’s match, drawing a standing ovation from fans who recalled his prep days in the area. As a 20th-ranked player entering the weekend, Young’s rapid emergence on the Ryder Cup stage has provided a rare bright note for a Team USA roster that has needed consistent answers this week.

With the day two schedule unfolding, Young’s continued impact will be a key storyline for US captainship and a potential turning point in the event’s result. His early results, combined with DeChambeau’s power and precision, give the Americans a blueprint for combatting Europe’s depth and experience on a course that favors hard-hitting driving and precise iron play.