Overcoming the crisis on the 17th hole with the world’s best putt skills and winning by one stroke
Cameron Smith (29, Australia) set a record for the first time ever to win the Open 20-under at the St Andrews Old Course, which is called the ‘hometown of golf’.
The previous record was 19 under par of Tiger Woods (47, USA), the ‘golf king’.
Smith won the 150th The Open Golf Tournament (total prize money of $14 million) at the St Andrews Old Course (par 72, 7,313 yards) in Fife, Scotland on the 18th (Korean time) with a final total of 20 under par 268. did.
Smith, who climbed to the top of the historic stage of the 150th The Open held at St Andrews Old Course, the birthplace of golf, achieved the record for the most under par in the history of the Open held at this course.
Henrik Stenson (Sweden) in 2016 and Smith this year are the two winners of the Open at 20-under.
At the time, Stenson won the Royal Troon, not St Andrews, so Smith was the first to win the championship at The Open in St Andrews at 20-under.
The previous record for most under-par wins at the Open held at this course was Woods’ 19-under in 2000.
Smith is not well known to domestic fans, but he was ranked 6th in the world before this tournament, and is the top ranked player with 6 wins including this tournament on the PGA Tour.
In particular, in March of this year, he won the Players Championship, which is called the ‘fifth major’, and received $3.6 million in prize money, the most in a single tournament on the PGA Tour.
The prize for winning the Open this year is $2.5 million.
In major tournaments, he was runner-up at the 2020 Masters, tied for 3rd at this year’s Masters, and tied for 4th at the US Open in 2015.
Standing 180 cm tall and weighing 78 kg, he is ranked 104th on the PGA Tour this season with an average distance of 298.6 yards.
He’s not a long hitter, but putting is his skill.
ESPN, an American sports media outlet, rated him as “one of the players with the best putts in the world,” and he is ranked fourth with 27.92 putts per round this season.
He also showed a strong appearance on the green with 29 putts that day.
Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), who competed with Smith throughout the game, had 36 putts.
Smith overcame a decisive crisis with a putter, especially on the 17th hole (par 4).
Smith, one stroke ahead of McIlroy, landed his second shot from the hole just below the green.
It was about 20 meters away from the ball and the hole, but left an uphill with a bunker on the left.
Here, Smith drove the ball uphill with a putter, and the ball was placed about three meters into the hole.
Smith, who put a formidable par putt and maintained the lead by one shot, was a birdie on the last 18th hole (par 4) to chase after Cameron Young (USA), who finished second by one shot, and McIlroy, who finished third by two shots. kicked off
On the 13th hole (par 4), he put a 5.5m birdie putt and tied for first place with McIlroy, and on the 14th hole (par 5), he sent an eagle putt about 25m away from the side of the hole and took the lead alone.
Smith is the fifth player to win both the Players’ Championship and Major in the same year, following Jack Nicklaus in 1978, Hal Sutton in 1983, Woods in 2001, and Martin Keimer in 2014.
“The last four or five holes were really difficult, but I think I can breathe a little now,” Smith said.
He said, “When the first nine holes were over, we were three strokes behind the lead, but I thought we had to be patient.
“I gained confidence by winning the Players Championship in March,” said Smith, “I felt good from last week’s Scottish competition, and yesterday’s putt was a little bit muted, but I didn’t think there were any technical problems.”
When asked about his thoughts on the Saudi Arabian capital-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, Smith said, “I just won the British Open, and I don’t think that’s an appropriate question.
I’m here to win this competition.”
/yunhap news