Some leftover notes from the Ryder Cup: 

A change in balls may have been the one thing that helped Cameron Young (Prototype Titleist Pro V1x) finally win for the first time on the PGA Tour and play well in his debut on the Ryder Cup for the American squad. 

Young switched to the prototype two days before the start of the Wyndham Championship and finally became a winer. Previous to that he had been using a Pro V1 Left Dot. The difference was the new ball had a lower spin rate. 

“I’ve always had a super high spin rate,” Young was quoted as saying in an article posted on Golfweek after winning the Wyndham Championship. “I hit it hard, and I hit down on it a lot, and that just generates spin, so it’s just trying to manage that.” 

Young broke the winless streak in his 94th Tour event. He had been a runner-up seven times on the Tour. 

He qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs and finished tied for fourth in the Tour Championship and then ninth in the Procore Championship as a leadup to the Ryder Cup. 

But in the Ryder Cup, played in his home state of New York on the Bethpage Black Course he knew well, he posted a 3-1-0 record and led the U.S. with total holes won, including handing European stalwart Justin Rose (Titleist Pro V1x) his only loss in the tournament with a clutch putt. 

After a strong opening round with Justin Thomas (Titleist Pro V1x), he was paired with Bryson DeChambeau, who was also testing out the prototype ball after previously using been the Pro V1 Left Dot. The duo ended up winning their match. 

Young, who was the youngest player on the American team at age 28, has certainly been on a roll and is now enjoying some down time. 

But you have to think Titleist will ramp up its marketing to take advantage of Young’s success. 

If DeChambeau, who is always tinkering with his equipment, opts to stick with the prototype ball it will be another means for Titleist to push the ball. No one markets himself better than DeChambeau.  

I had speculated in one my earlier blogs about whether the success of Ben Griffin would lead Maxfli to do a big campaign to promote its brand. Griffin, who was also a Ryder Cup rookie, finished with a record of 1-1, recording a win in the Sunday singles play. He plays a Maxfli Tour X ball. 

CHAMBLEE OFFERS THOUGHTS: In my blog last week, I was critical of NBC, in particular Paul McGinley, whom I thought was overly giddy about the play of the European team in the Ryder Cup. As a former Ryder Cup Captain and player and member of the selection committee, I understand why he is part of the coverage. But I thought NBC needed an American to counterbalance that. I didn’t think anyone on the coverage provided anything close to that. 

I suggested the only person who could match McGinley was Brandel Chamblee, but he wasn’t part of the coverage. Chamblee has never been shy of voicing criticisms, and it’s been interesting seeing he and McGinley mix it up on the Golf Channel. 

Chamblee says one of either Justin Leonard or Fred Couples should be named a Ryder Cup captain. 

“I look at Justin and again Fred Couples not being the Ryder Cup captain and it blows my mind,” he said on the Golf Channel. “Justin Leonard should be the Ryder Cup captain next go around if it’s not Fred Couples. 

“Justin Leonard to me in terms of intelligence, humbleness, thoughtfulness, attention to detail…is a budding Luke Donald or Paul McGinley and has an extraordinary record. I said how the heck are you not the Ryder Cup captain? Look at the players we have picked, and no disrespect but Keegan Bradley (Srixon Z-Star) is full of passion, and everyone can rally around him. I get that. But he has played in just two Ryder Cups in his career. If you look at the last 10 Ryder Cup captains for the U.S., they have played an average of five. A lot more experience.” 

This is the kind of edgy commentary that was needed for the Ryder Cup coverage.