In a week highlighted by a round of 62 on Friday that required just 18 putts to equal the PGA Tour record, Smith stood on the 18th tee on Sunday in the hunt to claim the biggest win of his career.

Needing a par on the last to post 16-under and potentially join the playoff ultimately won by Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, Smith hit his tee shot into the trees right of the fairway.

Eschewing the conservative approach, Smith struck a tree with his second shot, the ball careening out of bounds as he closed with a double bogey and final round of 2-over 72.

“I wanted to win,” Smith explained, who was tied with Harris English at 16-under at the time.

“I didn't want to chip it out and leave my chances in Harry's hands. He was still 16-under at the time.

“I wanted to make sure I had a good look at birdie and I just didn't execute it.

“There was a little gap up there. I had to hit like a medium flight draw and I tried to hit it. I just hit it too far right. The actual flight of it was good, it just hit the tree there on the right.”

Identifying the driver as an area of focus leading into the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Smith said his first priority after a whirlwind few weeks at The Open and the Olympics is to get a fishing rod back in his hand.

“We've been pretty busy lately and it's been hot as well, so it takes it out of you, especially being in contention as well, mentally draining,” said Smith, whose 93 putts for the week was just one shy of the PGA Tour record set by David Frost at the 2005 RBC Heritage.

“Nice week off on the boat, I'll be happy.

“I was really disappointed with how I hit my driver on the weekend. A week at home working on the driver, especially for the Playoffs, I think three tough driving courses, I need to get that in shape.”

Smith was far and away the best of the Aussies in Memphis, Adam Scott closing with a four-under 68 to share 36th position along with Victorians Lucas Herbert (69) and Marc Leishman (73).

Sydney’s Stephanie Kyriacou moved to second on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit courtesy of her fourth-place finish at the Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande in Spain.

With American Alison Lee racing away with a five-stroke win at the top of the leaderboard, Kyriacou closed with an even-par 72 to improve her position in the Race to Costa Del Sol points race.

In Utah, a run of five birdies in the space of six holes at the Utah Championship has put New South Welshman Brett Drewitt within reach of a return to the PGA Tour next season.

Starting the day tied for 23rd, Drewitt was losing ground to the field as he made 11 straight pars to start his final round but a regulation birdie at the par-4 12th was followed by four on the trot from the 14th hole to end the week tied for 21st.

As a result, Drewitt moved up one place to 22nd on the Korn Ferry Tour order of merit, the top 25 after next week’s Pinnacle Bank Championship to earn promotion to the PGA Tour next season.

RESULTS

World Golf Championships
FedEx St Jude Invitational
T5: Cameron Smith
T36: Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman
T43: Brad Kennedy
T51: Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby
60: Cam Davis
62: Min Woo Lee

PGA TOUR
Barracuda Championship
T23: Aaron Baddeley
T34: Greg Chalmers
T64: Cameron Percy
T66: Rhein Gibson
MC: John Senden

European Tour
Hero Open
T56: Scott Hend
T70: Jake McLeod
T72: Austin Bautista
MC: Deyen Lawson, Dimitrios Papadatos

Korn Ferry Tour
Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank
T21: Brett Drewitt
T55: Curtis Luck
T58: Ryan Ruffels
MC: Harrison Endycott, Jamie Arnold, Brett Coletta

Challenge Tour
Vierumäki Finnish Challenge
MC: Bryden Macpherson

Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande
4: Stephanie Kyriacou
MC: Victoria Fricot

LET Access Series
GolfUppsala Open
T53: Kristalle Blum

Symetra Tour
Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship
T13: Julienne Soo
T27: Robyn Choi, Soo Jin Lee
MC: Stephanie Na, Hira Naveed

Rose Ladies Series
JCB Golf and Country Club
T2: Whitney Hillier
Scotscraig Golf Club
T6: Whitney Hillier
T17: Amy Walsh