ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Cameron Smith made history on the Old Course, Sunday’s stunning event at St. Andrews, which sent the Australian to his first major, defeating Rory McIlroy to win the British Open.
The stage was set for McIlroy to end his eight-year major drought and cap off a week of celebration at the home of golf at the 150th Open.
Instead, Smith stole the show, reeling off five straight birdies to start the back nine and provided more clutch moments at the end. His 8-under 64 was the lowest final round by a champion in the 30-time oldest golf championship played at St. Andrews.
Smith won by one stroke over Cameron Young, who made a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole to briefly tie for the lead.
That wasn’t enough, and neither was anything McIlroy could muster.
McIlroy couldn’t make a putt early. He couldn’t hit it late enough. His last good chance was a 15-foot birdie attempt on the dreaded fairway hole on No. 17, and he missed the putt to the left.
Smith, who saved par on the 17th with a 10-foot putt, was in front of the 18th green with his putt. From 80 feet, his pace up the slope and into the cup was near perfect, leaving him for birdie to finish at 20-under 268.
Smith equaled the major championship record last held by Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters held in November.
McIlroy needed an eagle to tie it, and his chip through Sin Valley didn’t stand a chance. He missed the birdie and finished with a 70 to finish third.
Smith is the first Australian to win at St Andrews since Kell Nagle in 1960, when he beat a rising American star named Arnold Palmer, the crowd’s choice.
That’s who McIlroy is now, and all day there was energy on the humps and hollows of the Old Course, all waiting to celebrate McIlroy as Open champion at St Andrews.
He gave them little to cheer about – two birdies, 16 bucks, more disappointment.
“My putter went cold,” McIlroy said. “When both Camerons — especially Smith — got on that run on the back nine, I had to dig deep to make birdies. And I just couldn’t. I got beat by the better player this week. To go out and shoot 64 to win the St. Andrews Open is a hell of a performance. Hats off to Cam.”
Beneath that hat is a mullet that the 28-year-old Australian has been growing over the past few years, and now he has a much bigger identity: Champion Golfer of the Year — at St. Andrews, no less.
He won for the third time this year — most recently The Players Championship — and moves to No. 2 in the world behind Masters champion Scotty Scheffler.
Smith is the first Australian to win the Open since Greg Norman in 1993 at Royal St George. Norman was asked not to return this year – there was no indication he would come – because of his Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which has offered millions to attract players like Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, major champions with top-10 finishes.
But this day belonged to Smith and this magical player.
He started the final round four shots back and still trailed by three when he made the turn. McIlroy played controlled golf, his only birdie a two-putt from 18 feet on the par-5 fifth. Victor Hovland, who started the final round tied with McIlroy, was never a factor. He didn’t make his first birdie until the 12th hole and closed with a 74.
What Smith performed on the back nine is now part of Open lore.
He hit a great putt to 5 feet for birdie on the short 10th. He was brave to the back pin on the par-3 11th and holed a 15-foot birdie, and he birdied the next two holes from about that length. His fifth straight putt was a 90-footer on the par-5 14th, over a huge mound and down the slope to tap-in range, giving him the lead for the first time.
McIlroy couldn’t catch up. His lag was great. It wasn’t what he needed. And he got no help from Smith, whose one missed shot provided his biggest challenge.
The mean bunker of the Road Hole was between him and the flag on the 17th. He used his putter to skip the right edge of the bunker to the green, 10 feet away, and poured in another shot, this one for par, to stay in front.
Young had his chances in his Open debut. He left a short 6-footer with about a foot break on the 15th. He got away with a wedge on the next hole. He tries his drive and approach to the 17th, only to leave another birdie chance short.
He finally surrendered, but all it got him was a 65 and the silver medal.
Smith made his last birdie and the engraver set to work on this silver burgundy jug, a prize first awarded to the 1873 champion at St Andrews. There’s a lot of history surrounding this gray old town, and Smith became part of it in a big way.
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