BRISBANE – Home hero Cameron Smith held off challenges from Jason Scrivener and Ryo Hisatsune to claim a third Australian PGA Championship title by three shots at Royal Queensland on Sunday.
British Open champion Smith’s 14-under 270 total, courtesy of a three-under 68 final round, secured him victory at the weather-affected A$2 million (S$1.86 million) event co-sanctioned by Europe’s DP World Tour.
The 29-year-old, back in Australia after nearly three years blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, previously won back-to-back titles at the event in 2017 and 2018.
“It’s awesome. I really didn’t think I had it in me at the start of the week,” said Smith, who plays on the breakaway LIV Golf series.
“I was a bit scratchy and the game has got better and better as the week went on, other than the front nine today.”
When asked about the two weather-enforced delays in play, Smith said it was “a little frustrating, but I just held on and played really solid those last eight holes”.
Hisatsune (65) and Scrivener (67) were hot on overnight leader Smith’s heels towards the midway point of the final round, but were unable to keep up their momentum and eventually faded away to finish in joint second.
Englishman John Parry (65) and Australia’s Lee Min Woo (69) finished tied fourth on 275, while two-time winner Adam Scott (68) was tied for 28th.
On the pressure that now follows his compatriot Smith, Scott said: “I haven’t got too many worries about Cam. He should enjoy it all. Coming home to play that summer in Australia after the Masters (win in 2013) was one of the great memories of my career.”
Smith’s grandmother Carol was responsible for the “Team Smith” T-shirts which sport a photo of his voluminous mullet on the back and were a feature at the venue.
On the 15th, a spectator asked about them and she said: “He’s my grandson. He’ll probably think it’s too much hype but it’s just for fun.”
Smith will next feature at the Australian Open, the regional circuit’s most prestigious event, which returns to Melbourne next week as an integrated men’s and women’s tournament after being cancelled twice during the pandemic. REUTERS
