Cameron Young produced a stunning opening round to take a one-stroke lead at the Cadillac Championship as PGA Tour stars spoke out over the news that rival tour LIV Golf had lost Saudi Arabian funding.
Young shot an 8-under 64 as the PGA Tour returned to the Blue Monster Course at Trump National Doral in Miami for the first time since 2016.
The Players Championship winner finished fourth ahead of Americans Jordan Spieth and Alex Smalley, with Canadian Nick Taylor one stroke behind.
Colombia’s Nico Echavarria sits in sole fifth place at 5 under, with the American trio of Andrew Putnam, Brian Harman and Gary Woodland just one step behind.
Young’s 97-foot putt was the fifth highest of the entire round, and he made eight birdies without dropping a shot, ranking him second on the day in overall putting statistics.
Jordan Spieth is one step behind the leader in Florida.
“I feel like I hit a billion feet of putt,” Young said. “It was just one of those days where the mistakes I made weren’t punished as much as they could have been, and every time my ball got near the hole, today it seemed like it wanted to go in.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is seven strokes off the lead after dropping two strokes on the back nine for a 71.
“I hope I’m a little sharper today,” Scheffler said. “It started well, but it was a bit difficult from then on. Overall, I hope to be a little sharper tomorrow.”
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Justin Rose had an unforgettable moment on the first hole of the Cadillac Championship when the Brit hit his bunker shot into the water!
Tommy Fleetwood was 2 under par, while fellow Briton Alex Fitzpatrick was even on par after earning PGA Tour membership by winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with his brother Matt last week.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry was also on par, while Ryder Cup winner Justin Rose shot a 2-over 74 using his new irons manufactured by McLaren.
Spieth isn’t sure if the return path for all LIV players ‘should be the same.’
Play began in Florida around the same time Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it would end funding for LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.
PIF said the “significant investments required are no longer consistent with the fund’s investment strategy” and that LIV was seeking a new “long-term financial partner” to save the organization’s future.
With LIV’s future uncertain, attention quickly turned to whether its stars, including major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, could return to the PGA Tour.
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Kaveh Solhekol explains why Saudi Arabian funding is being cut at LIV Golf and why it’s leaving players like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.
Brooks Koepka, another major winner who previously moved to LIV, joined the Returning Member Program offered by the PGA Tour in early 2026, providing a unique opportunity for some of the most successful players in the game.
Former Masters champion Patrick Reed, who did not qualify for the program, is in the process of playing before returning to PGA Tour action a year after his last LIV appearance.
Former world No. 1 Spieth was asked after the opening round about the potential process that could happen if more LIV players want to return to the PGA Tour.
“I’m not sure it should be the same for everyone,” Spieth said. “I know an olive branch was put out a few months ago, and Brooks took it, so I don’t know what’s going to change now.”
“This doesn’t necessarily mean that LIV won’t continue to evolve. I think there are too many unknowns to gauge what will happen there.
“But if we have a system for Brooks and a system for Patrick Reed, will it remain the same for the two men who came back and are in the same category, or will it change now? Will there be a change for the men who sued and had their membership revoked?
“So many different things have happened in the last four years. I’m kind of glad I’m not in that room, and I trust the people in that room to make the right decisions.”
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Eamon Lynch told Golf Today on the Golf Channel that a return to the PGA Tour or DP World Tour for Rahm or DeChambeau would be very difficult for both men and that LIV Golf would find it difficult to continue without investment.
Harman, the 2023 Open champion, said he believes there should be a way for LIV players to return to the PGA Tour, but “there has to be something” to smooth the path.
“I think the fans want everyone to play together and let time heal all wounds,” Hamann said. “There’s still some sentiment here. It’s going to be difficult to overcome, especially with all the litigation issues. We play with everyone in the majors, so I think, yes, there has to be a way back.
“I think there has to be something. I’m not smart enough to say what it is. That’s other people’s business.
“I think that’s going to be helpful in talking about the bad blood and the anger. Although we haven’t heard as much in the last few years as we did when we started the lawsuit, I think there’s probably a need for something to tone it down a little bit.”
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