At the 2022 Open Championship, as the then-world No. 2, Cameron Smith swept away the Claret Jug; he also got former LIV CEO Greg Norman's attention, who didn't think twice before poaching him away. He was only one of the many big names, of course. But amid them all was someone you can metaphorically call the PGA Tour's nepo baby: Cameron Young
.
The runner-up to Smith at St. Andrews was just a rookie back then, but he had long enough familial roots in the American circuit that he could've been a big catch for LIV. We know that they did reach out to him and that he did, in fact, reject the offer. But the latest bankruptcy filings by LIV Golf
now reveal just how far those conversations had actually gone, as we also unveil the possible way those very roots ultimately persuaded Young to stay.
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LIV Golf submitted its financial statements
to the US Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey on Thursday. The document reveals on page 26 that Young received a Letter of Agreement dated July 24, 2022, from the breakaway league.
The filing does not reveal the details of the agreement or whether he signed it. Golf Digest
reported that the filings showed Young had signed an intent to play for LIV, although the document itself does not establish this.
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Presented under 'Schedule G: Executory Contracts and Unexpired Leases', it shows that while Young never actually joined the league, the contract also stood. That was until, of course, the court rejected it on September 8, 2026, under the clause LIV Golf requested to reject all old player contracts. Under Chapter 11, rejecting a contract lets a debtor walk away from it. The more troubling thing is that Young did indeed come very close to packing his bags.
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Cameron Young almost said yes, before making a U-turn
If you remember, the 2022 Rookie of the Year was not part of the 2023 Ryder Cup team, possibly because of his unclear decision when the choices were being made at that front. After all, he admitted liking many ideas from LIV. But he ultimately did say no to it right then.
"I mean, frankly, I have decided to stay," he said following his final round at the 2022 Tour Championship in August. "With some of the changes coming [to the PGA Tour], that's kind of what really helped me decide to kind of stay and pursue those goals that I have for myself, like making a Presidents Cup team and a Ryder Cup team and winning a major when all of that is just uncertain if you go."
But there may be another reason why.
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You may know Young's father, David, who now carries his bag for him. But before completely switching to a caddie life, David had an important connection to the PGA Tour.
In the fall of 2022, David retired as the director of golf at the renowned Sleepy Hollow Country Club after 21 years of service. This was after he had a long and distinguished career as a PGA of America Golf Professional. And Young knew what that meant, as he once attributed his early success to his father.
"It's because of the PGA that he has had the job he had for the last many years," Cameron told PGA of America in January. "Without that at Sleepy Hollow, I don't start playing at four years old or earlier. I don't have the access that I did growing up. I started playing in PGA junior events when I was nine, eight, something like that."
That decision, for whatever reason he chose, did end up in many achievements.
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At just 29, Cameron Young is already making the most out of his decision to stay
Young has climbed as high as third in the world rankings behind the perennial No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy. He currently sits fourth, but his career trajectory at the PGA Tour is certainly rising.
Young has since played in the 2022 Presidents Cup and the 2025 Ryder Cup. He went 3-1-0 at Bethpage Black. He also received another call to represent Team USA for this year's Presidents Cup as he continues to make his place among the elites.
However, he is still chasing his first major title.
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He won his first PGA Tour event at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. In 2026, he added two more big wins, taking the titles at THE PLAYERS Championship and the Cadillac Championship. At Doral, he beat Scottie Scheffler by six shots. Young has also finished second at The Open twice, in 2022 and 2026.
GolfMagic estimates that Young has earned around $33.3 million in official PGA Tour prize money since the start of 2023. His current total sits at over $39.8 million since 2022.
The filing comes at a difficult time for LIV. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced its plans to stop funding the league after the 2026 season. As LIV hopes to return at its 2.0 version in 2027, backed by BC Partners as primary investors, several players are now listed as creditors, including Jon Rahm, who is owed around $7.5 million in unpaid payments.
The biggest question is still what the agreement actually contained and whether that was the reason why Young chose to stay. Until more details become public, Young's 2022 comments and the PGA Tour's changes at the time remain the clearest explanations for why he chose to stay.
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