Cameron Young calls penalty on himself during final round of $20m Cadillac Championship

Cameron Young produced a moment of admirable sportsmanship during the final round of the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral, calling a penalty on himself despite holding a commanding lead.

The 28-year-old American began Sunday in Miami at 15-under par, six shots clear of his nearest challengers, including world number one Scottie Scheffler.

After opening with a routine par on the par-5 first, the drama unfolded on the very next hole.

Finding the fairway at the par-4 second, Young alerted a PGA Tour official that his ball had moved slightly forward as he addressed it. 

Although uncertain whether he had caused the movement, Young immediately raised the issue.

After a short discussion with the rules official, it was determined Young’s actions had indeed caused the ball to move, and that meant a one-stroke penalty under Rule 9.2. 

Notably, Young, to his credit, was the only person who observed the movement. 

Despite the early setback, Young showed incredible composure to bounce back quickly. From just under 160 yards, he struck his approach to 14 feet and calmly holed the putt to save par, maintaining his dominant position at the top of the leaderboard. 

Watch what happened here: 

Young then went and birdied the next hole, once again holing a putt from inside of 15 feet. 

The final round remains in its early stages, but Young continues to hold a significant advantage over the chasing pack. 

Young is going in search of a third career PGA Tour title and his second win of the season having won The Players in March. 

The winner of the Cadillac Championship, which marks the fifth Signature Event of the season, will pocket a huge cheque for $3.6m. 

Young's integrity in calling the penalty on himself has drawn widespread praise, reinforcing golf’s long-standing reputation for honesty and self-regulation.

Sky Sports Golf's Paul McGinley was one of the first to applaud Young's actions during the final-round broadcast. 

“He called it upon himself. Nobody knew it moved except him. He told his caddie and called over a referee to say he was pretty sure it moved, and even though there was not 100% evidence that it did, he accepted the penalty,” said McGinley, who captained Europe to victory at the 2014 Ryder Cup.

“To then step up and still go on to save par—again, it’s a good insight into where he is mentally. He’s just getting better and better.”