Aussie Cameron Smith charges to stunning victory at 150th Open Championship

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - Cameron Smith stunned the golf world, Rory McIlroy and his legion of fans, with a come from behind victory at the 150th Open Championship.

The 28-year-old Australian from Brisbane appeared unflappable navigating the treacherous nooks and crannies of the Old Course in St. Andrews on Sunday. Smith shot a closing round of 64 to defeat American Cameron Young by one shot and crowd favorite McIlroy by two.

Smith’s brilliant run of five consecutive birdies on holes 10 to 14, as he surpassed third round leaders McIlroy and Norwegian Viktor Hovland, ultimately proved to be the difference. He started his day playing in the penultimate group, the duo of Camerons each four shots back.

“It was tense today, but to go out and put my head down and keep making putts was really cool,” Smith told journalists shortly after the victory. “I just had to be patient and I felt good all day, those putts started going in on the back nine and I got some momentum started.”

McIlroy, who needed to slam dunk an eagle pitching over the ‘Valley of Sin’ to the 18th green to extend the tournament to a four-hole playoff, finished solo third. The 32-year-old, who had impressed with three rounds of 66, 68, 66, made a commendable effort, but his ball ran well past the flagstick. Victory, and the Claret Jug, belonged to the straggly-haired Aussie, who was nervously watching McIlroy finish.

“To win an Open Championship, in itself, is probably the career highlight for any golfer, and to do it around St. Andrews is unbelievable,” Smith, told reporters shortly after his victory, the Claret Jug at his side. “I love this golf course, I love the town.”

“To have my name on this trophy with so many greats, I’m at a loss for words,” Smith added.

McIlroy, who represented Northern Ireland at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was clearly the fan favorite all week among the knowledgeable golf fanatics at St. Andrews. He appeared to be in command and confident, with a two-shot advantage at one stage, likely headed toward his second Open title, eight years since he last triumphed in 2014. But McIlroy’s putting was no better than a hastily poured Guinness, as he failed to make a single birdie on his closing nine, in relatively benign Scottish coast weather conditions that were ripe for scoring.

“Disappointed obviously – yeah, I felt like I didn’t do much wrong today, but I didn’t do much right either,” McIlroy said, talking to reporters. “Yeah, I’ll rue a few missed sort of putts that slid by, but it’s been a good week overall.”

The Australian ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ demonstrated poise and composure saving par after a short and left approach, leaving the unfriendly ‘Road Hole’ bunker between him and the flagstick on 17. Taking the bunker out of play, he putted uphill, his ball curving right to left, leaving himself a 10-foot par putt, that he calmly sunk.

“I was just trying to get it inside 15 feet, then I’d be able to give the (par) putt a good run, and it went in,” he said.

On 18, Smith courageously attacked aiming to reach the green of the 356-yard hole named Tom Morris, the Scottish ‘Father of Golf’. He came up just short, but a delicate chip shot and four-foot birdie conversion dropped him to 20-under, two clear of McIlroy, who was stepping up to the 18th tee box, as his hopes were slipping away.

“I’ll be okay - at the end of the day, it’s not life or death,” McIlroy said. “I’ll have other chances to win the Open Championship and other chances to win majors. It’s one that I feel like I let slip away, but there will be other opportunities.”

For Smith, who resides in Jacksonville, Florida, it was the biggest triumph of his pro golf career, topping The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in the Sunshine State, this past March.

“I’m definitely going to find out how many beers fit in this thing,” Smith said, savoring the moment and feasting his eyes upon the silver Claret Jug.

Olympians fare well on the Old Course

Three of the top five finishers on Sunday in St. Andrews, also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Smith, McIlroy and Hovland.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Xander Shauffele, entered the week as the hottest golfer in the world, having won his previous three tournament starts, including the Scottish Open. The U.S. Olympic champion played respectably, but couldn’t extend his winning streak, finishing at ten-under-par, tied for 15th, ten strokes behind Smith.

Rio 2016 Olympic champion Justin Rose, pulled out of the tournament on the morning of Thursday’s opening round due to an ailing back injury.

Smith’s fellow Australian champion and never-ending LIV Golf turmoil

Smith is the first Australian golfer to take home the Claret Jug since Greg Norman, who won the prestigious championship in 1993 and 1986. Norman, who continues to lead the controversial path of LIV Golf, as it approaches its third uber-lucrative tournament funded by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, was banned from St. Andrews this week, including the Champions Dinner.

Smith faced a point-blank question, amid speculation and rumors that he could be one of the next PGA Tour golf pros cajoled by Norman to jump ship and tee it up on the LIV Tour.

“I don’t know mate – my team worries about that, I’m here to win golf tournaments,” Smith responded, appearing slightly ruffled for the first time all week.

While the 150th Open anniversary this past week at the historic ‘Home of Golf’ was a celebration of the sport, constant debate, discussions and occasional fiery exchanges between reporters and LIV Tour players amped up tension.

“I think it’s a shame we’re not focusing on, well, to me, the biggest event of the year,” said British veteran golf pro and LIV Tour player Lee Westwood. “The Open Championship and St. Andrews deserves to be center stage this week.”

Westwood’s British and LIV Golf colleague Ian Poulter also hit back at reporters.

“If you guys continue to write that there are people and there’s negative comments and there’s boos, then unfortunately that’s not a true reflection of exactly what happened,” Poulter said, asked about heckling from the crowd.

“Fair, respectful, honest journalism would be great because it would be the truth,” Poulter said.

Six-time major champion and star of LIV Golf Phil Mickelson was repeatedly asked about feeling any disappointment in missing the ‘Champions Dinner,’ a suggestion from the R&A due to his representation of the Saudi backed tour.

“Dude, let it go, let it go,” Mickelson told the pesky British golf reporter.

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