MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP
The Open Championship
Cam Smith Is The Champion Golfer Of The Year
Golf’s most coveted trophy is back in the hands of an Aussie! Cameron Smith hoisted the Claret Jug while standing on the hallowed 18th green of the Old Course at St Andrews after winning the 150th Open Championship. The unassuming 28-year-old is the first Australian to win The Open in 29 years since Greg Norman in 1993. Smith joins Norman (2 wins), Peter Thomson (5 wins), Kel Nagle (1 win) and Ian Baker Finch (1 win) as the only male golfers from Down Under to win golf’s oldest major championship. This year marked the 30th time The Open Championship was staged at The Old Course at St Andrews. Smith adds his name to some of the game’s greats who have won The Open at the ‘Home of Golf’ including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo.
Smith fired an incredible 8-under 64 on Sunday to reach 20-under and match Henrik Stenson (2016, Royal Troon) with the tournament record score in relation to par. The flawless round featured a stretch of five consecutive birdies from the 10th hole to the 14th hole. Smith began the final round four shots behind joint 54-hole leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland. The Queenslander gave an indication of his intent early on the final day opening with birdies at the holes 2 and 5. After he poured in his seventh birdie for the day at the 14th hole, Smith held a narrow one-shot lead over McIlroy. Smith made solid pars at the 15th and 16th holes before producing a clutch par save at hole 17, the infamous Road Hole. At the 18th green, Smith tapped in a two-foot birdie putt to earn him his biggest career victory. Earlier this year, Smith won The PLAYERS Championship. The now six-time PGA Tour winner posted rounds of 67, 64, 73 and 64. His second round 8-under 64 was record breaking! Smith made an incredible 253-feet of putts on Friday to set an unofficial PGA Tour putting record on the way to taking the halfway lead. He became the first Australian to hold the solo 36-hole lead at The Open since Wayne Grady in 1989.
America’s Cameron Young finished in second place one shot behind Smith at 19-under. It was the 25-year-old’s debut at The Open. Young closed with a superb 7-under 65 that included a stunning eagle at the 72nd hole, which forced Smith to finish with a birdie for the win. Young is enjoying a breakthrough season. He has racked up four runner up performances and two third places including T3 at the PGA Championship in May.
McIlroy claimed outright third place one shot further back at 18-under. The Northern Irishman closed with a 2-under 70 that included 36 putts. The former World No. 1 was searching for his first major title since winning the PGA Championship in 2014. The crowd favourite held a narrow lead through the front nine until Smith forged ahead. McIlroy was hoping to collect his fifth major title, which would have equalled Seve Ballesteros in career majors and put him within one of Nick Faldo’s record for most major wins by a European in the modern era (since the Masters debuted in 1934).
Defending champion Collin Morikawa was hoping to become the first repeat winner of the Claret Jug since Padraig Harrington in 2007 & 2008. The 25-year-old American missed the halfway cut by one shot. Former Open champions Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen and Ernie Els also failed to qualify for the weekend by one shot. Drummond Golf Ambassador Matt Griffin narrowly missed the 36-hole cut by two shots after rounds of 74 and 72.
Other Aussies to put up a great showing on the Old Course included Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert and Anthony Quayle. The trio finished in a tie for 15th place at 10-under. Min Woo Lee was one shot further back at 9-under.
Italy’s Filippo Celli won the Silver Medal for the low amateur finishing in a tie for 47th place at 5-under. Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick are some of golf’s big names who have earned the Silver Medal. Celli was one of four amateurs who played all four rounds.
The 151st Open Championship will be staged at Royal Liverpool in 2023.
The PGA Tour heads to Minnesota for the 3M Open staged at TPC Twin Cities. America’s Cameron Champ is the defending champion.
Final Scores
The Open Championship
1. Cameron Smith -20
2. Cameron Young -19
3 Rory McIlroy -18
T4. Tommy Fleetwood -14
T4. Viktor Hovland -14
T6. Brian Harman -13
T6. Dustin Johnson -13
T8. Bryson DeChambeau -12
T8. Patrick Cantlay -12
T8. Jordan Spieth -12
Other Australians
T15 Lucas Herbert -10
T15. Anthony Quayle -10
T15. Adam Scott -10
T21. Min Woo Lee -9
T53. Jason Scrivener -4
T53. Brad Kennedy -4
MC. Matthew Griffin
MC. Marc Leishman
MC. Dimi Papadatos
MC. Jediah Morgan
Photo credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
