Bethpage Edits: How Cameron Young Adjusted His Setup for Bethpage Black

*In Partnership with Titleist*

With the Ryder Cup only a few days away, players are just doing their best to get comfy, stay loose, and talk strategy around Bethpage Black.

A big reason players are already locked in, especially when it comes to their gear, is that at every PGA TOUR event, they have a team of people dedicated to ensuring their gear is ready to rock, and one of the most important people on Titleist's Team is JJ Van Wezenbeeck, the senior director of player promotions.

JJ has a ton of experience working with players from both Ryder Cup teams, but the one player I really wanted to talk to him about is Ryder Cup rookie, captain's pick, and New Yorker Cameron Young, who, since the early part of the summer, has played some incredible golf.

What makes talking to JJ about Cameron's gear so interesting is that the top of Cameron's bag is very fluid, and he is always willing to make changes to best suit the course and his needs off the tee and on long approach shots. Here's what we learned.

Editors' Note: JJ's quotes have been edited for clarity.

"Cameron is a player who will move between a GT 280 and a GT3 fairway wood depending on course setup. He really takes advantage of the technology because the GT 280 allows him to have a weapon off the tee, but on other courses where he's looking for a little less distance off the tee and a little more playability off the ground, he takes advantage of having a GT3 in the bag."

The Breakdown

The great thing about Cameron's strategy when switching between his mini driver (GT280) and 3-wood is that it's something a lot of regular golfers can also implement. A mini driver provides a lot more forgiveness off the tee (compared to a 3-wood) while still intentionally staying shorter than a driver.

Now keep in mind, a mini driver can still be hit from the fairway off the turf when absolutely needed, but considering the potential risk from a longer yardage, and also considering, most golfers tend to play yardages that don't leave a lot 3-wood yardages into par 5's (especially in the PGA Tour) a 3-wood doesn't have to be a default club after a driver.

On the other hand, when a course lends itself to absolutely going bombs away off the tee, a mini driver becomes a bit redundant which is why it's still useful to carry a 3-wood.

Knowing that he's also experimented with a GT2 Hybrid, especially since Portrush, I wanted JJ's thoughts on this presence in the bag since I don't recall him ever playing a hybrid before. Here's what JJ said about getting that club into his bag:

"Yeah, he's the perfect example of why we make hybrids, because he's a player that had played a T350 3-iron and still mixes that in for certain core setups. When we would go to a 5-wood, a lot of times, if it got windy, he felt like he was really struggling with a little too much spin. The hybrid offers the versatility of a fairway wood with some launch, but you get something with lower spin, like an iron.

That GT2 hybrid fit the bill perfectly (for Cameron), because we could take advantage of heel toe CG, take away that toe strike a little bit and even a place like Port Rush that people are thinking they're going to put two irons in play, he felt it gave him lot of versatility on the rough, off the tee and from the fairway.

I think with hybrids where they are today, how many people that you know say, hit hybrids left and it's just not how they're built anymore. We have CG adjustability, have loft and line adjustability, we have different heads. So it's really just having and finding the tool that fits your bag, your golf setup, your golf swing, where you're impacting it and all those things to get the correct launch and spin and direction."

The Breakdown

When land angle and maximum height isn't as big of a priority - generally when using lower lofted hybrids (16-22°), they make a better option to help keep the baller lower because the center of gravity is higher and closer to the face than a fairway wood.

For recreational golfers, this is a big reason hybrids offer a great alternative to driving irons because their head size and sole width makes then a lot more forgiving.

And finally, I just had to ask if JJ had any insight into what Cameron's likely to bring to Bethpage based on the setup that they're expecting on the golf course.

"The beauty with Cameron is that he travels with everything. A lot's going to depend on the wind and the temperature, and the forecast. You know, as things cool down, he may see some holes where he's going to have to push it a little bit more off the tee, but it also brings in some par fives. He's not even afraid to switch day to day. If he's going to play alternate shot with someone that is a little bit on the longer side, and he doesn't think he's going to have three woods into some holes, he's going to go ahead and stay with that 280.

And, if it's someone else where he feels like he might be less than three woods, he's going to leave the three wood in the bag. So there are some factors still, it's just kind of like solving the puzzle. The good part is he's got a really good plan, and he's not deciding what clubs to play and what settings to play. He's just saying, Hey, I'm going to let the golf course dictate which club goes in the bag for that day."

The Breakdown

It's going to be very interesting to watch how Cameron is paired for various formats, especially if he gets called on for alternate shot. If he gets paired with a longer player off the tee, I'd expect to see the GT280 in the bag, and if he's with a shorter player, it could be the 3-wood instead.

Now we just have to wait until Friday to find out!