Cameron Young’s Dad David Is the Reason He Golfs

Cameron Young’s Parents David and Barbara YoungStuart Franklin/R&A - Getty Images

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As Cameron Young heads into the final round of the Masters tied for the lead, he will be supported by his wife Kelsey, their three young children, and his parents, David and Barbara.

“I think all the time about how much my parents put into what I do, how much my dad still is involved. I think back about my dad working very long hours. He’s a golf pro in New York, and it’s a demanding job. He basically worked sun up to sun down all year round. And it just reminds me of the example he set for me of what that looks like,” Cameron told Town & Country before the Masters.

He added, “I’m fortunate that [during] my weeks off, I can be home more. I can make my own schedule. I don’t go out there and practice for 12 hours a day. I might be gone for the morning or for the afternoon, but it’s one of the things I’m really grateful for. [My dad] worked very hard, but as a kid, I went to the golf course to see him. He wasn’t home a ton, just due to the nature of his job. And it makes me really grateful for that now because I know how much he would’ve loved to be home and be free more, but that just wasn’t in the cards for him. So it makes me realize how fortunate I am to do what I do, and to be able to have some of the flexibility and freedom that our job does give us.”

Cameron with his family after winning The Players in 2026.Richard Heathcote - Getty Images

Now, Cameron and his family live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida just a fifteen minute drive from his parents, who retired in Jupiter, Florida. “He’s a dad first and a golfer second,” David said of Cameron, “and that’s made him focus doing his job efficiently so he can be the dad he wants to be.” Here’s what to know about Cameron Young’s parents David and Barbara:

His dad, David Young

Dave records his son’s swing.Rob Carr - Getty Images

David is a PGA of America Professional who retired in fall 2022 after a 21 years as the head professional of Sleepy Hollow Country Club. “It's because of the PGA that he has had the job he had for the last many years,” Cameron said. “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."

In 2010, David and Barbara brought Cam to Scotland to golf. It rained for four days, and David later recalled, “I’m thinking, after this trip, this kid is never going to want to play golf again. It did just the opposite. It got him excited about it. He decided golf was going to be his main sport, and he started working hard at it.”

The father-son duo at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2023.Richard Heathcote - Getty Images

David works as his son’s swing coach, and he caddied for Cameron in the first two rounds of the 2019 U.S. Open, Cameron’s first major championship appearance.

“If he plays well, there is not much to talk about. If he plays okay, we may chat about a few things. If he does not play how he wants to- that’s when I just let him vent for a while,” David said of their coaching dynamic. “It’s a really, really easy relationship for us. It’s not real tricky. First and foremost, he’s my son, and most of the time is spent in that relationship. Every once in a while, we’ll do a little work if he needs to. And mostly it’s him tinkering, finding something that he thinks works, just making sure it makes sense, and looks OK, and makes sense from a mechanics standpoint.”

David added, “As a Dad, I’m just really happy for him and his family and to accomplish some of his big career goals. As a coach you get some satisfaction that you helped a little bit—or at least didn’t hurt. It was great on all levels. As a family, as a coach, it’s just all dreams coming true and it’s hard to put into words what it means or feels like, but we feel very fortunate.”

His mom, Barbara Young

Like her husband and son, Barbara is an avid golfer. She briefly played professionally, then ran a women’s mini-tour for 13 years. She caddied for her sister, Marjorie, a professional golfer; her husband, David; and her son, Cam. Barbara was on the bag for his win at the 2015 Ike Championship, several U.S. Amateur Championships, and the practice rounds of the 2019 U.S. Open. According to PGA.com, “Cameron’s mom Barbara also has played a huge role [in his career], assuming many titles beyond just ‘Mom’ including caddie, nutritionist, chauffeur and many more as she helped her son achieve his dreams.”

Barbara said of her son, “There have been a lot of life changes in about five years when you go from not having a tour card to all of a sudden getting your card and getting married and having three children. It’s quite remarkable to me that he’s been able to play at this level knowing everything he has on his plate, but he and Kelsey really seem to have a good handle on it, and they’re managing it well. It’s really great to see him playing like this right now, and to see what a great dad and husband he is, too. The fans don’t know that because he’s so quiet, but he's a remarkable dad and husband, and we’re real proud of him for that.”

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