ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Cameron Smith billed his way into background on the Old System, a Sunday stunner at St. Andrews that sent the Australian to his initial main title by beating Rory McIlroy to gain the Open up Championship.
The phase was established for McIlroy to close his eight-yr drought in the majors and cap off a week of celebration at the home of golf in the 150th Open.
Smith stole the show by functioning off 5 straight birdies to start out the back again nine and offering additional clutch times at the end. His 8-less than 64 was the most affordable closing round by a winner in the 30 instances golf’s oldest championship has been played at St. Andrews.
Smith received by 1 shot about Cameron Youthful, who holed a 15-foot eagle putt on the ultimate gap. It was not adequate, and neither was nearly anything McIlroy could muster.
McIlroy could not make a putt early. He couldn’t hit it close ample late. His last excellent possibility was a 15-foot birdie endeavor on the terrifying Highway Gap at No. 17, and it narrowly skipped to the left.
Smith, who saved par on the 17th with a 10-foot putt, was at the entrance of the 18th inexperienced with his tee shot. From 80 toes absent, his tempo up the slope and towards the cup was close to best, leaving him a faucet-in birdie to end at 20-under 268.
Smith matched the main championship file to par, previous arrived at by Dustin Johnson in the 2020 Masters held in November.
McIlroy needed eagle to tie him, and his putt by way of the Valley of Sin experienced no prospect. He missed the birdie and wound up with a 70 to finish third.
Smith is the very first Australian to gain at St. Andrews because Kel Nagle in 1960, when he topped a rising American star named Arnold Palmer, the people’s selection.
That is what McIlroy is now, and all working day there was an strength together the humps and hollows of the Previous Course, all of the fans ready to rejoice McIlroy as an Open up winner at St. Andrews.
He gave them minimal to cheer — two birdies, 16 pars, far more disappointment.
