Australian Cameron Smith entered golf history by winning a very special The Open. 150 years of history of the tournament were commemorated and it was played in the home of golf, the old field of Saint Andrews.
Smith, who for many represented a surprise, is far from it. Very important feats preceded him. He was the first player in Major history, at the 2020 Augusta Masters, when he placed second, to play four rounds under 70 strokes. This year he set an all-time record for a PGA Tour tournament, at the first event of the year in Hawaii, shooting 34 under par.
This Brisbane-born seems to like records. With the Open, he is placed, in the company of Jack Nicklaus, in the only ones to win in the same year The Players and the British. In turn, he puts the best score of the 30 Opens played in Saint Andrews, 20 under par. The previous mark was held by Tiger Woods, at -19, when he won the tournament in 2000. He also ranks as one of just four players to go 20 under par at any Major in all time.
The comeback that took Smith to the title
Thus, Smith achieved an impressive triumph. He had started four shots below Rory McIlroy, who, being born in the United Kingdom, had practically the entire gallery in favor of him. The other leader was a Norwegian, Viktor Hovland, with little experience in a competition of this dimension.
The comeback started fast. Smith birdied the 2nd hole and then the 5th, passing with 34 through the first nine holes. But there, the lead still belonged to McIlroy, who shot 35 for the first lap.
From then on, the Australian was an unstoppable steamroller, firing five consecutive birdies, from 10 to 14, and taking the lead of the competition. He made pars at 15 and 16 and then came a sensational, fantastic moment, one of those plays that will remain framed forever, on what has been the most difficult hole, forever, on the Saint Andrews course, 17.
With a splendid driver around the hotel, he placed the ball in the center of the fairway. And when we all expected a free shot to the 160-yard green, Cameron missed to the left and left the ball next to the most recognized bunker in the world of golf, from where wonderful plays have been made, but also tournaments have been delivered. Here came the imagination, the magic of Smith, and also the mental strength to take the putt, skirt the bunker and place the ball three meters from the hole and then, with that delicacy that touches the putt, save a pair that will be remembered by the golf world forever.
In the 18th minute he showed his mettle again: he left the ball a meter away on the second shot and his teammate, Cameron Young, who had not lost his temper throughout the round, gave him an eagle to match it.
Smith demonstrated his temperance and his greatness. Golf remembers as one of the biggest mistakes in its history the time when Doug Sanders, 50 centimeters from that 18th hole in Saint Andrews, missed and gave Jack Nicklaus the opportunity to go out to a playoff that he ultimately won. But Smith was not for that. He stood in front of the ball and, without a trial swing, pocketed it. Rory only had the opportunity to do Young’s, a 2, to go out and dispute a playoff. It was not given. Cameron Smith had the opportunity to kiss the Claret Jug.
The McIlroy thing is unusual. He comes a long time lost with the putt. He took the 18 holes on the green in regulation and could only get two birdies. Almost impossible with a closing of 34 putts to get a big tournament.
The controversy over LIV Golf after the Open is amplified
Of course, the LIV was the talk of the town. Dustin Johnson put up a fight and was sixth, DeChambeau was eighth, Abraham Ancer was the best Latin American, in position 11, and only Koepka, Oosthuizen and Mickelson were left out of the cut.
The Spanish Sergio García, the European Tour gave him a snub that was not well received by the players. His compatriot Jon Rahm said: “You don’t do that with a player as great as Sergio, who has given his life to the European Tour.”
But things do not stop there. The rumors are very big and they are going to generate an explosion in world golf, something not to believe: the winner of the Open, Cameron Smith, is leaving for the LIV. The only Oriental to win the Masters, Hideki Matsuyama, too. The Swedish Henrik Stensson, also winner of the Open, travels to Arabia.
This seems to be confirmed and, of course, it will make the PGA Tour commissioner and the Europeans think, because everything seems to indicate that fighting with the millions of dollars of the Arabs is not an easy thing. It will dawn and we will see if this is confirmed and how many others will go on the Saudi tour.
Getting to the green
German Street
For the time
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