TULSA, Okla. — Cameron Young has a chance to bring a major championship home to the New York Metropolitan Area.
Of course, the 25-year-old Young, who grew up learning the game at the footsteps of his father, David, the longtime director of golf at Sleep Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, wants to win the PGA Championship for himself and his family.
But a victory Sunday would place Young atop a short list of greatest golf accomplishments ever by a player from the Met Area.
Young, after shooting a 3-under-par 67 in the third round Saturday to get to 5-under for the tournament, is in prime position to do so Sunday in the final round at Southern Hills, where he stands in fourth place and four shots behind leader Mito Pereira, who is 9-under.
A victory at the PGA would hold massive significance for the Young family, considering Dave’s 35 years as a PGA professional not only has been his career, but also the springboard to Cam taking up the game in the first place.
“It’s the PGA Championship, which means a lot to me given my family connection to it,’’ Young said. “It’s because of the PGA that [my dad] had the job he had for the last many years. Without that, at Sleepy Hollow I don’t start playing at four years old or earlier. I don’t have the access that I did growing up. I started playing in PGA junior events when I was nine, eight, something like that.
“I’ve been given so much access to golf because of that organization, to kind of have the chance to go from local PGA junior tournaments, national PGA juniors to Junior Ryder Cup, to even play in a PGA Championship is really cool for me. It kind of has been with me my whole way through.
“If I were to win a major championship, I would take any one of them. This one specifically with my parents here this week would be pretty incredible.’’
David Young, who coaches his son, and his wife Barbara were sitting on a wall outside the Southern Hills clubhouse after Cameron’s round and they were beaming.
“This is kind of off the charts,’’ David told The Post. “This is something he’s been looking forward to for a long, long time. The PGA Championship is extra special to us. It’s a major championship to begin with, and then to be run by the organization that I’ve been a part of for 35 years adds a little extra importance to that.
“We’ve all been lucky. I’ve been at Sleepy Hollow for more than 20 years and they support everything I’ve done, spending time with Cam. They’ve been so supportive of me. I’m sure not all pros have the support that I get from my club to go to the extra curriculars.
“I’m really, really fortunate for the PGA of America and Sleepy for opportunities I’ve had and Cam’s had.’’
Now Cam, who’s in his rookie year on the PGA Tour, has a chance to change his life with a victory Sunday. He already has had an incredible first year, with three runner-up finishes and a third place, and he got into the Masters for the first time, though he missed the cut.
“I feel like I’m in the middle of a nice stretch of golf and this feels like what I should be doing,’’ Cam said.
“You can’t help but dream,’’ David Young said of a potential win. “He’s got a real shot. He’s been playing great and hasn’t had that Sunday yet that knocked everybody’s socks off. But he’s due. He’s had a bunch of good finishes this year, he’s just waiting for that one hot Sunday round to come around.’’
The highlight of Cam’s third round came on the short par-4 17th hole, which he eagled to get to 5-under after drilling a 4-wood onto the green and making the putt. David Young was standing on the green to witness it all.
“I was up by the green for the tee shot,’’ David said. “And I was right on line behind the ball and the hole for the putt and I got to see the putt disappear. I might have actually got off the ground on that one.’’
Maybe David Young will have reason to jump even a little higher off the ground Sunday if his son wins his first major.