Photo by Maddie Meyer/PGA of America via Getty Images
Cameron Young blew onto the scene last season, and his beard was a staple to his appearance. Now it’s gone, and fans feel betrayed.
Thus far, the 105th PGA Championship has not gone to plan for Cameron Young. That photo is the same Young that took the world by storm in three of the four majors last year. The same one that finished T7 in the previous two Masters Tournaments, solo second at last year’s Open Championship and T3 at the 104th PGA Championship.
Now his beard is gone, and he doesn’t even look remotely like the same person. It feels like he shaved off his playoff beard, and there has to be some kind of bad juju associated with his actions.
The reactions to his image change are expected, and the fans feel like they deserve a refund for betting on Young. He had a thick beard all last season, and it worked for him, so the change is genuinely frustrating. Who shaves off their beard during the middle of a major championship?
Cam Young has never panned out for me. Start drinking now
— Jonathon (@_Postalize) May 18, 2023
Did not realize Cam Young shaved his beard
We are cooked
— PGA Parks (@pga_parks) May 18, 2023
Cam Young +3 thru 7 is solely because he shaved his beard, he looks unrecognizable.
— Jared Grillo (@grillo_jared) May 18, 2023
Had I known Cam Young was going beardless for the PGA 0% chance I bet him… looks like a naked mole rat. Pissed
— Perogies11 (@perogies11) May 18, 2023
update: cam young not winning.
— Matthew Wiley (@wiley77) May 18, 2023
Some fans, though, went the comical route.
nice of Cam Young to lend Patrick Cantlay his beard for the weekend
— fantasy deep thoughts (@FFdeepthoughts) May 18, 2023
Young’s wife, Kelsey, convinced him to shave it off after they got to Rochester, NY, per Golf Digest. He doesn’t seem to mind or be suspicious, which is good for him. However, just from the reactions above, the fans have taken it to heart and don’t know how to react.
Some people truly believe changing things like a beard can be costly, and many of those guys haven’t been afraid to showcase their thoughts. None of their reactions matter, but Young doesn’t hate it — hopefully, he grows it back because it suits him, and his first-round 74 wasn’t a great start for him at the 105th PGA Championship.
