This week in “The Starter,” PGA pro Brendon Elliott highlights three Sunday stories that show where each tour stands. On the PGA TOUR, Cameron Young took over at Doral and looked like he’s hitting his stride. On the LPGA Tour, Nelly Korda followed up her major win with another strong showing in Mexico. And on the PGA TOUR Champions, Stewart Cink continued his impressive season with another senior major win.

The PGA TOUR: Cameron Young Looked Like a Man Ready for the Next Stage

Doral is a course that demands confidence. The Blue Monster forces players to hit bold drives, stay patient during tough stretches, and accept that good shots do not always pay off. That is what made Cameron Young’s week stand out. He did not just win the Cadillac Championship. He owned it from the front, finishing at 19-under and beating Scottie Scheffler by six in a wire-to-wire performance that looked controlled even when the day tried to get messy.

Young’s final-round 68 was not flashy, but it was solid. This marks his third PGA TOUR win, his second this season, and shows that his potential is now a reality. He has victories at the Wyndham Championship, THE PLAYERS, and Doral, along with five top-10 finishes in nine starts this year. He is not just hoping to break through; he already has.

The Penalty Told You Plenty

An important moment happened early in the round. Young called a penalty on himself on the par-4 second hole after he moved his ball, then regained his focus and kept playing. Moments like this show a lot about a player’s character, especially when starting the day with a big lead and knowing that one mistake can change everything. Instead of getting rattled, he stuck to his routine and never looked like he was just trying to hold on.

Afterward, Young said that tough courses and tough conditions actually help him focus. That makes sense. He often plays his best when the course requires discipline and mental strength, not just big shots. At Doral, he used a range of skills throughout the week, and that versatility might be his biggest strength.

Scheffler Kept the Standard High

Scheffler’s second-place finish is important. The World No. 1 shot a final-round 68 to end at 13-under, marking his third straight runner-up finish. That shows how high the standard was at the top. Even Scheffler admitted Young played exceptionally well all week, especially with his putting and on Doral’s tough tee shots.

That is why this win felt like more than just another trophy. Young led the field with 24 birdies and was best in strokes gained putting, all on a course where the 18th hole was the toughest finishing hole on TOUR this season. These are real achievements. This was not just a lucky streak with the putter; it was a top player showing he belongs in the biggest events.

The LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda Made Another Win Feel Almost Expected

Sometimes Nelly Korda makes golf look graceful, and sometimes she makes it look unstoppable. At the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, it was the latter. Korda finished at 17-under, won by four shots, set the tournament’s 72-hole scoring record at 271, and was the only player to shoot all four rounds in the 60s. She made just two bogeys all week. Those numbers show not just control, but dominance.

This win gives her 18 career LPGA Tour victories and is her third win in six starts this season. It also came just a week after her Chevron Championship win, making it back-to-back victories and adding to a season that already feels historic. She stays No. 1 in the Race to the CME Globe and picked up another 500 points.

The Scary Part Is That It Was Not Perfect

After the win, Korda said some parts of her week felt like her best golf, while other stretches felt more average. That is a warning for her competitors. When someone wins by four, sets a scoring record, and still feels she was not at her best, it shows the gap between her and the rest of the field is more than just a good week. She is managing tough moments without letting them get out of hand.

She also described the week as both work and a slice of paradise, which felt fitting. The setting in Mexico clearly relaxed her, but her golf never drifted. She was 13-under on the par 5s for the week, made the most eagles in the field, and was bogey-free for 60 holes before finally making one on the 72nd hole of the tournament. Those are not the numbers of someone simply riding momentum. Those are the numbers of a player who is dictating terms.

The Chase Was Good, but Korda Was Better

Aprichaya Yubol finished second at 13-under, her best result on the LPGA Tour. Yu Liu took third, and Brianna Do finished fourth, also her best LPGA finish. Amateur Maria Jose Marin made the top five and kept her strong run going. There was plenty of good golf behind Korda, but it was overshadowed by her standout performance.

Korda is now the youngest American to reach 18 LPGA Tour wins since Nancy Lopez and has 23 points toward the LPGA Hall of Fame. These are not just interesting facts; they show that her career is becoming more impressive with each win.

The Champions Tour: Stewart Cink Keeps Making This Season Harder to Ignore

At some point, a streak like this is more than just a good run. Stewart Cink is having a standout year. His win at the Regions Tradition in Birmingham is his fourth PGA TOUR Champions victory of the 2026 season in only seven starts, his eighth career win on the tour, and his second senior major. He finished with a 3-under 69 to end at 18-under and win by three shots.

Cink is now the first player on PGA TOUR Champions this season to reach four wins, and he stayed atop the Charles Schwab Cup standings for a ninth consecutive week. He also made a field-leading 26 birdies, the highest total of his Champions career. That is not a veteran hanging on. That is a player who has found a groove and is making the most of it.

Birmingham Gave the Win Some Extra Weight

This win was special because of the location. After the round, Cink talked about his golfing roots in Alabama, playing junior golf around Birmingham, and seeing familiar faces in the crowd. These things can make players either nervous or comfortable. Cink seemed calm and settled. He said the day was tough because of the wind, but he trusted his game and did not need things to be easy to stay in control.

That kind of comfort shows in small ways through patience, restraint, and the ability to handle the pressure of senior major Sundays, even if the atmosphere is different. Cink has always shown steady competitive maturity, and on the PGA TOUR Champions, that quality is becoming a real advantage.

This Is Starting to Feel Like a Real Campaign

Scott Hend finished second with a strong final-round 65, Colin Montgomerie took third, and Søren Kjeldsen was fourth. There were plenty of big names near the top, but Cink stayed ahead all week and turned a three-shot lead after 54 holes into another major win. He has now won both the Senior PGA Championship and the Regions Tradition in back-to-back senior majors, putting himself among the best on the PGA TOUR Champions in recent seasons.

That is the main point for me. Cink is not just having a lucky streak; he looks like a player who understands this stage, enjoys the rhythm, and believes he can keep winning. Based on his play, that confidence seems justified.

The lesson from this week’s “The Starter” is straightforward.

Cameron Young looked like a player entering his next chapter. Nelly Korda looked like the standard again. Stewart Cink looked like a veteran who has found exactly where he belongs right now. Three tours gave us three different versions of control this weekend, and all of them proved worth paying attention to.