RIDGELAND, S.C. — Cameron Young, a five-time runner-up this past season, was named the winner of the Arnold Palmer Award as the PGA Tour’s top rookie on Wednesday.
Young, 25, was presented with the Arnold Palmer Award by past winner Sungjae Im and Webb Simpson during a news conference at Congaree Golf Club.
The PGA Tour said Young, the 16th-ranked player in the world, received 94% of the vote from his peers and finished ahead of Tom Kim and Sahith Theegala.
“It’s very special,” Young said. “I know the namesake, Arnold Palmer, obviously was a giant in the game of golf, and we have him to thank for a lot of what we do today, what the PGA Tour is. Just to be related to that in some small way is very cool. I know we had a very strong rookie class and I know it’s voted [for] by my peers, so it’s a huge honor to be thought of in that way, just to kind of finish the year that way.”
Young, a former Wake Forest star, finished second at the Sanderson Farms Championship, The Genesis Invitational, Wells Fargo Championship, The Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic. His five runner-up finishes tied for the most by a player in a single season during the past 40 years. Vijay Singh also accomplished the feat in 2003.
Young finished third at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in May, missing a playoff with eventual winner Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris by 1 stroke. At the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in July, Young finished solo second, 1 shot behind winner Cameron Smith.
Young also was part of the winning U.S. team that defeated the International team in the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.
Young earned more than $6.5 million this past season, the most in a single season by a rookie in PGA Tour history. It was $2.2 million more than the previous record total, set by Xander Schauffele in 2016-17.