The 28-year-old American noticed his ball move in the second fairway and called the penalty on himself, but recovered to save par and card a four-under 68 to finish at 19-under 269 at Trump National Doral, earning the $3.6 million winner's cheque.
"Your heart sinks when you see (the ball) move, but it moved and that's part of what golf is about," Young said. "There's no one that was going to give me a penalty there but myself.
"I've had about four of those on the PGA Tour now, so I need to start setting the club down a little softer, but it's just one of those times. How was I going to look the other way and say it didn't move when it rolled over and went an inch forward?
"Just unfortunate but I handled it pretty well."
Young led from start to finish, becoming just the third wire-to-wire winner at Doral and the first since Andy Bean in 1977. The triumph continues a strong run of form following his maiden PGA Tour win in Greensboro last August, victory at The Players Championship in March and a share of third at last month's Masters.
His six-stroke winning margin equalled the largest in a PGA Tour event at Doral, matching Hubert Green's mark set in 1976.
"When the golf course is difficult, when the playing conditions are difficult, that tends to make it easier for me mentally," Young said.
"The self-belief just continues to build," he added. "I put myself in plenty of good places over the course of the last four or five years and recently have started to come out on the better side of it so excited for the next few weeks."
US President Donald Trump watched from a suite overlooking the 18th as Cameron Young holed the winning putt.
World number one Scottie Scheffler surged late with three birdies in his final four holes to post a 68 and claim second place on 275, finishing one ahead of Ben Griffin, in his final preparation before defending his title at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in two weeks.
Adam Scott carded a closing 64 to join Sepp Straka (66) and Kim Si-woo (70) in a tie for fourth on 277.
President Donald Trump has backed the idea of LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour after the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced it will step away from funding the breakaway league.
Cameron Young fired a brilliant eight-under 64 to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the PGA Tour's Cadillac Championship.
Matt Fitzpatrick and his younger brother Alex held their nerve down the stretch to secure a landmark win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a triumph that also hands Alex a two-year PGA Tour exemption.
Star pairing Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry fell short of the leaders at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, missing the cut by a single shot as they exited before the weekend.
