The Players Championship looked like it was Ludvig Aberg's to lose when he made the turn on Sunday. But his three-shot lead vanished after he found the water on two consecutive holes. That opened the door for a bevy of contenders, including Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young. When all was said and done, Cameron Young won the title at TPC Sawgrass.

Young was challenging for the 54-hole lead late on Saturday until a double bogey did him in on the 18th hole. A birdie on 17 tied him with Matthew Fitzpatrick at the top of the leaderboard at 13-under. Back on the 18th, Young stepped up and drilled the longest drive of the day on the final hole, slaying the demons to secure the win.

Young missed a birdie putt, but Fitzpatrick had a lengthy par putt for the tie. The Englishman missed the fairway and found the pine straw off the tee, putting him well behind the 8 Ball. Fizpatrick missed the par bid from nine feet, giving Young a tap-in for the win.

The Players Championship marks just the second PGA Tour win of Young's career. He picked up the win at the Wyndham Championship last August and was a star for the Americans in the Ryder Cup in September. This marks the biggest win of his career and puts him firmly among the top contenders at this year's major championships.

Aberg was set up for a coronation at The Players. He has PGA Tour wins and two Ryder Cup appearances under his belt, but this would have been Aberg's crowning achievement so far. But the bogey on 11 and double bogey on 12 ruined his chances of a win. Even his comeback bid was thwarted by a par on 16. At just 26 years old, Aberg has made a name for himself on the PGA Tour. But Sunday's loss could haunt him for a long time, especially going into major championship season.

This is an opportunity that passed Fitzpatrick by as well. Young's birdie on 17 was stunning, but Fitzpatrick's wobbly drives on 16 and 18 left the door open for the American. No English player has ever won The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

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Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler bring up rear at Players Championship

Scottie Scheffler acknowledges the crowd on the second hole during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Usually, a week as significant as The Players Championship would see the top two players in the world in contention. But both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler struggled early in the week, playing themselves out of contention. McIlroy withdrew from last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational with a back injury and finished tied for 46th at even par on the week. Scheffler made some progress late, finishing at five-under par.

The Masters is just a month away, and neither of the past two champions has put their stamp on this season. McIlroy won last year's Players Championship before his Augusta ascension. And in 2024, Scheffler picked off his second Sawgrass title before grabbing his second Green Jacket.

That leaves the door open for the new generation of PGA Tour stars to clip off a major. Fitzpatrick has one from his US Open win in 2022, but Aberg and Young are without that defining win yet. Winning The Players has meant great things for players in the 2020s. Cam Smith, McIlroy, and Scheffler all turned Players wins into majors later that year. Will that continue this year?