In partnership with
The Science-Backed Solution for Eyebags, Dark Spots & Wrinkles
Reduce eyebags, dark spots and wrinkles with the #1 selling anti-aging solution for men. Based on advanced clinical research, Particle Face Cream ensures you look and feel your best every day. Get 20% off now with the code BH20!
Cameron Young stood on the 18th green at TPC Sawgrass with his family in tow — and it changed everything about how that victory felt, not just what it was. When a player you’ve watched grow up finally breaks through with a signature win, you don’t just remember the score — you remember who was in the gallery.
This week’s issue digs into that moment, what it tells us about commitment under pressure, and how you can steal a bit of Tour‑level thinking for your own weekend rounds.
Table of Contents
Birdies: Where the Pros Play 🏆
Young captures Players with family in the gallery
At the 2026 Players Championship, Cameron Young closed out a 13‑under total and held off a stacked field for one of the most meaningful wins of his career — not least because his wife and three children were there to witness it. The emotion on his face wasn’t just relief; it was a reminder that golf’s biggest days are about more than trophies. When the pressure got loud on the Stadium Course, Young stayed in the moment and trusted his swing — and that made the difference.
What struck you in Young’s win: it wasn’t a flukey shot or a single miraculous hole; it was steadiness through a pressure cooker that’s far tougher than its 17th par‑3 reputation. Staying present in those moments — that’s what separates good from great.
PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship shapes up as next big test
The PGA Tour’s Florida Swing wraps this week at the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida, and the leaderboard is stacked with intrigue. With Viktor Hovland set to defend his title alongside players like Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Brooks Koepka, the “Snake Pit” closing stretch is poised to reward bold strategy and patience — exactly the kind of golf that separates good rounds from great ones.
Gear Drop: This Week’s Picks ⛳
FUSION Grip ST Wide Golf Shoes — $110
Widen your stance. Tighten your game. These are for anyone whose feet are tired of being squeezed by “standard” sizing and whose balance starts getting sketchy late in the round. Soft spikes + a wider fit is a boring upgrade that pays you back immediately on uneven lies. Check them out here.
Cobra 2024 DARKSPEED X Driver — $299 (Save $250)
This driver blends speed and stability thanks to Cobra’s aerodynamic design — meaning you get extra ball speed without sacrificing control. I like this one because it doesn’t just look the part with its sleek finish; it also delivers a forgiving launch that helps keep tee shots in play when the wind picks up. For weekend golfers who want a bigger feeling off the tee without a full‑tour swing speed, this is a worthy upgrade and a deal that readers will actually notice. Check it out here.
Disclosure: Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you click and buy, Birdies, Bogeys & Bourbon may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we'd genuinely use. Prices and discounts are subject to change -- always verify on the retailer's page before purchasing.
Bogeys: For Us Weekend Golfers 🏌️♂️
Cameron Young’s swing positions you can steal
A Golf.com breakdown of the key positions in Cameron Young’s swing reveals the architecture behind his power and control: setup balance, mid‑swing extension, and release through the ball, among others. Watching these positions in slow motion helped me see how even small adjustments — like where your hands are at the top — can make contact more consistent when you’re battling wind or nerves.
What I keep coming back to: if you can learn to pause and feel one position instead of flailing at the ball, your misses start to look a lot more like purposeful misses.
Consider golf schooling to level up your game
A new GOLF.com feature highlights how structured programs with top‑tier teachers can accelerate improvement by combining range work with on‑course decision making. Instead of piecemeal tips, you get a curriculum — and that can transform how you think about practice vs. play.
My take: There’s real value in going beyond YouTube clips and chipping range hacks. A few days of dedicated coaching can eliminate a habit you’ve been fighting for years.
Bourbon: Life on the 19th Hole 🥃
This week’s Bourbon section is for the golfer who knows that a round can shift in an instant — when a good swing turns into a bad one and your mental game gets tested. One swing, one brief moment of hesitation, and suddenly it's not the scorecard that bothers you. It’s the feeling of doubt creeping in when you should’ve stayed committed. Golf doesn’t always punish poor shots, but it sure exposes the moments when you lose trust in the one you’re meant to make.
⭐ Course of the week ⭐
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course, Palm Harbor, Florida)
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook feels like a test of character. It’s not a place that lets you coast — it challenges you with its narrow fairways and undulating greens. The key to survival here? Patience. And if you’re not careful, the closing stretch, with its par-3 17th and risk-reward par-5 18th, can humble even the best.
Worth playing for: The closing stretch of holes 16-18 will test your resolve, and the 17th par-3 is one of the most demanding shots on Tour.
What will hurt: A fairway that demands total commitment to each shot. The course doesn’t reward hesitation.
Where to book: Innisbrook tee times
This Week’s Pour
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Rich, smooth, and a little spicy — Elijah Craig Small Batch is the perfect bourbon to savor after a challenging round. With its deep caramel finish and subtle oak flavor, it pairs effortlessly with the feeling of a hard-earned scorecard. Like a good round of golf, it’s a quiet kind of confidence that sticks with you, long after the glass is empty.
The 19th Hole Story: Monsoon Golf
By Kurt Schuettinger
Sometimes the best golf stories happen when the plan goes completely off the rails. Kurt Schuettinger’s adventure in Bangalore turned into a monsoon-fueled round filled with surprises — a match made harder by unpredictable weather, a handful of cows, and a course that could only be described as “unexpected.” But isn’t that the beauty of golf? The moment when the course or the conditions throw a wrench in your game and you have to embrace it, simply because that’s what golf demands. Read the full article here.
Share Your Story: The 19th Hole Story
Got one of your own?
Send us your 19th Hole Story — the shot you should have trusted, the hole you still replay in the car, the round that taught you something the hard way. If we feature yours in an upcoming issue, it will become part of the section readers stay for at the very end.
One Last Thing
Golf teaches us to keep swinging, even when the odds seem stacked against us. Whether it’s a monsoon or a hurricane, there’s always a lesson waiting if you’re willing to stick around long enough to find it. In life, just like in golf, the toughest shots often lead to the most memorable moments.
And maybe that’s what keeps us coming back: knowing that the next shot could be the one that makes it all worth it.
See you next week,
Adam Rosen
Editor-in-Chief, Birdies, Bogeys & Bourbon
PS: Have a fun golf story? Share it here, and we may include it in the next edition.