ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Go get it.
It’s all that’s left for Cameron Young.
It’s right there for him.
Convince yourself that this is your time, your Sunday.
Win the golf tournament.
Seize the moment and capture the 150th British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Change your life.
It is, of course, hardly simple, but that is the task ahead for the 25-year-old from Scarborough, N.Y., who learned the game at Sleepy Hollow Country Club from his father, David, the head pro at the Westchester County club for more than 20 years.
Young, who entered the third round Saturday at 11-under and two shots behind 36-hole leader Cameron Smith, stumbled at the end of his round and finished with a 1-under 71 to complicate his mission of winning his first PGA Tour event.
He’ll enter the final round Sunday at 12-under and four shots behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland, who are both 16-under.
Young is not out of it, but he walked off the course gutted early Saturday evening after he turned in a crushing four-putt double-bogey on the 16th hole and then failed to birdie the drivable par-4 18th.
“I certainly still have a good chance,’’ Young told The Post after his round. “You never know what could happen on those first few holes. You could be right there after three or four. I just have to keep that in mind, and just go out and try to hit a bunch of good shots and see what happens.’’
Young was frustrated with his putting and said, “That’s kind of the difference between shooting 5 or 6 [under] and shooting 1 [under].’’
“I’m disappointed with the finish,’’ he said. “Coming down 15, if I made birdie before 18 and then usually have at least a [birdie] look on 18, I figured I’d get pretty close to those guys. And to do what I did was very frustrating. Just a frustrating finish to put myself in a place that I have to kind of shoot something very low tomorrow.’’
Young said he doesn’t have to “do anything too crazy’’ on Sunday, but acknowledged if McIlroy and Hovland “shoot 5 or 6-under, it gets pretty tough to catch them.’’
Regardless of the outcome Sunday, Young is a lock to win Rookie of the Year honors on the PGA Tour, because has spent most of the year in contention. That, however, is of little consolation to him as he burns to capture his first win.
Young has finished runner-up three times and third twice, including the PGA Championship in May at Southern Hills. He had the tournament lead on the 15th tee in the final round, but could not get it across the finish line.
That has been a theme for Young, who hasn’t been a choker. It’s not as if he has been posting big numbers on Sundays.
Young’s first runner-up finish came at the Sanderson Farms Championship, in which he shot 68 in the final round. When he finished runner-up at the Genesis Invitational, a big-boy event hosted by Tiger Woods with a stout field, he shot 70 on in the final round.
His tie for third at the RBC Heritage was closed with a final-round 66. Then there was the tie for second at the Wells Fargo, in which he shot 66 in the final round. He shot 71 in the final round in Tulsa at the PGA.
Young has played terrific golf, but something has been missing, something small has prevented him from hoisting a trophy on Sundays, and he has been trying to figure out the missing link.
He has been transparent about how much he has been searching to find that tiny added edge, speaking about how “sick’’ he is of finishing second or third and leaving golf tournaments without a victory.
Before the British Open, Young made what was a gut-wrenching decision to change caddies, replacing Scott McKean, his best friend from Wake Forest and best man at his wedding, with Chad Reynolds, a more experienced PGA Tour looper.
“It was certainly not fun. He’s one of my best friends,’’ Young said of McKean. “But at end of the day, it’s a business, I play golf to support my family and it was something I just think I had to do for the betterment of my golf.’’
Will it make a difference Sunday at St. Andrews?
We shall find out.
“It’s hard to put your finger on [what’s missing],’’ Young said. “I’ve done a lot of things pretty well. I just haven’t put it all together for a full week.’’
Maybe, even against some difficult odds, he will put it all together on Sunday at the Home of Golf.
What better place to change your life forever?
Go get it.
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