The 2026 PLAYERS Championship delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, with Cam Young emerging victorious from a group including Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele, and Robert MacIntyre.
Smylie Kaufman walked inside the ropes with the final group, and breaks down exactly how Young pulled it off, from a clutch birdie on 17 to one of the longest drives ever recorded on the 18th hole at Sawgrass.
Smylie and Charlie Hulme dive into the duel between Cam Young and Matt Fitzpatrick, the key swing and strategy adjustments that changed the tournament, and the implications as we head towards the first major of the year at Augusta.
They also examine a disappointing Sunday for Ludvig Åberg, discuss Rory McIlroy’s Masters preparation, highlight the recent resurgence in form for Brooks Koepka, and ask the big question: is Scottie Scheffler actually in a slump?
Plus: Smylie ranks his own shots from his debut on Golf Channel’s Live From coverage at The PLAYERS.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro & Scenes from THE PLAYERS
03:05 Sawgrass Sunday conditions & best finish in golf
07:21 Cam Young’s strategy
12:21 The evolution of Cam Young’s putting & mindset
17:01 The defining moments on 17 and 18
22:44 Matt Fitzpatrick
27:05 Ludvig Åberg
31:04 Momentum, crowd energy & Sunday pressure
34:48 “Major or Not Major”
42:11 Is Scottie Scheffler actually in a slump?
48:10 Smylie’s Golf Channel Live From debut
56:31 PGA Tour competitive structure changes
1:08:15 Final thoughts
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