ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) – Cameron Smith went down in history at the Old Course on a stunning Sunday in St. Andrews who sent the Australian to his first major by beating Rory McIlroy to win the British Open.
The stage was set for McIlroy to end his eight-year drought in the majors and end a week of celebration at the golf house at the 150th Open.
Instead, Smith stole the show by running five birds in a row to start the next nine and offer more clutch moments at the end. His 8-under 64 was the lowest final round for a champion in 30 times the oldest golf championship ever played in St. Louis. Andrews.
Smith won by a shot over Cameron Young, who made a 15-foot eagle putt into the final hole to briefly tie the lead.
It wasn’t enough, and there was nothing McIlroy could muster.
McIlroy couldn’t make an early putt. He couldn’t hit him late enough. His last good chance was a 15-foot bird attempt on the frightening Road Hole at number 17, and he narrowly missed on the left.
Smith, who saved the pair on the 17th with a 10-foot putt, was at the head of the green 18 with his starting shot. At 80 feet away, his pace up the slope and into the canopy was almost perfect, leaving him a cap birdie to finish at 20 under 268.
Smith matched the main championship record at par, the last one achieved by Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters held in November.
McIlroy needed an eagle to tie him up, and his chip through the valley of sin had no chance. He lost the birdie and finished with a 70 to finish third.
Smith is the first Australian to win at St. Andrews since Kel Nagle in 1960, when he surpassed a rising American star named Arnold Palmer, the audience’s choice.
That’s what McIlroy is now, and all day there was energy throughout the humps and gaps of the Old Course, all hoping to celebrate McIlroy as Open champion at St. Louis. Andrews.
It gave them little to cheer on: two birds, 16 pairs, more disappointment.
“The putter got me cold,” McIlroy said. “When the two Camerons, especially Smith, made that run in the last nine, I had to dig deep to make birds. And I just couldn’t. The best player has beaten me this week. Go out and shoot 64 to win the Open Championship in St. Andrews is a hell of a show. Get your hat off to Cam. “
Beneath this hat is a mule that the 28-year-old Australian has been growing for the past few years, and now has a much bigger identity: Golf Champion of the Year, in St. Louis. Andrews, no more and no less.
He won for the third time this year, the last The Players Championship, and moves to world number 2 behind Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.
Smith is the first Australian to win the Open since Greg Norman in 1993 at the Royal St. George’s. Norman was asked not to return this year, there was no indication that he was coming, due to his LIV Golf, funded by Saudi Arabia, which has offered millions to attract players like Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, great champions who finished in the top 10.
But that day belonged to Smith and that magical putter.
He started the last round with four shots from behind and was still three behind when he made the turn. McIlroy was playing controlled golf, his only bird with two putts from 18 feet in the fifth par-5. Viktor Hovland, who started the final round tied with McIlroy, was never a major factor. He didn’t make his first bird until hole 12 and closed with a 74.
That Smith career behind him is now part of the Open tradition.
He made an ingenious 5-foot throw for birdie in the short 10th. He was dared with a pin after 11 par-3 and drilled a 15-foot bird, and made birds in the next two holes from that length. His fifth in a row was a putt from 90 feet at par-5 14th, over a huge pile and down the slope to a point of reach that gave him the lead for the first time.
McIlroy couldn’t catch up. His lag putting was fantastic. That was not what I needed. And he received no help from Smith, the only missed shot created his biggest challenge.
The nefarious Road Hole bunker was between him and the flag on the 17th. He used his putter to go over the right edge of the bunker and toward the green, 10 feet away, and poured another putt, this one because stay in front.
Young had his chances in his Open debut. He dropped a 6-foot putt with a foot rest on the 15th. He fell short with a wedge in the next hole. He drilled his unit and approached 17, only to leave another bird opportunity.
He finally delivered, but all he got was a 65 and the silver medal.
Smith made his last bird and the engraver set to work on that claret silver jug, an award that was first given to the 1873 champion at St. Andrews. There is a lot of history around this old, gray core, and Smith was an important part of it.
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