The culmination of the two main Tours for men in the US saw riches realised and dreams come true as Smith shot a final round of one-under 69 to end the FedExCup Playoffs in a three-way tie for 14th while Lucas Herbert officially received his card to join the PGA Tour next season.

Starting the week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in fifth position, Smith was holding firm at the halfway mark but fell to a tie for 13th with a third round of three-over 73.

He dropped one further position on Sunday as Patrick Cantlay held off Jon Rahm to claim the $US15 million prize pool by a single stroke and could console himself with a cheque for $US583,750 and a 2020/2021 season total of $US6,435,617.

“It’s been pretty good. Been really good of late, just a bit of a shame this week,” Smith said when asked to sum up his season that included a win at the Zurich Classic, two runner-up finishes and eight top-10s.

“I just didn’t hit my driver good enough. You need to hit the fairways around here to make a score. East Lake hasn’t really been my friend in the past. It still isn’t.”

“My short game, especially my scoring irons are still unreal. Just the longer stuff that I really need to get better at.”

Given the hectic finish to the season that included representing his country at the Tokyo Olympics last month, Smith now intends to spend a few weeks unwinding with a little help from his father, Des.

“I’ve got five weeks off and my old man has come over from Australia, so lots of fishing and lots of sitting down and a few beers in there as well,” he added.

“I’m going to play three or four in the fall, a couple in Vegas for sure and thinking about Houston and RSM.

“Pretty mellow.”

The next season of the PGA Tour kicks off next week in California at the Fortinet Championship where Lucas Herbert can join the field as a full member for the first time.

Tied for 45th at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship saw the Victorian end the Finals in 14th position and secure one of the 25 PGA Tour cards on offer.

Curtis Luck began the week in 24th position but a missed cut saw him fall to 31st and a return to the Korn Ferry Tour next year while Aaron Baddeley (36th) and Rhein Gibson (50th) will have limited status on the main Tour.

The leader at the halfway mark, Min Woo Lee fell to a tie for 12th at the European Tour’s DS Automobiles Italian Open in Rome, Dimi Papadatos finished inside the top-10 at the British Golf Challenge on the Challenge Tour, while Stephanie Kyriacou remains second on the Ladies European Tour points list after finishing tied for 14th at the Creekhouse Ladies Open in Sweden.

RESULTS

PGA Tour
TOUR Championship
T14: Cameron Smith

European Tour
DS Automobiles Italian Open
T12: Min Woo Lee
T52: Scott Hend
MC: Wade Ormsby
WD: Maverick Antcliff

Japan Golf Tour
Fujisankei Classic
T20: Anthony Quayle
T59: Scott Strange
MC: Todd Sinnott, David Bransdon, Dylan Perry

Korn Ferry Tour
Korn Ferry Tour Championship
T41: Rhein Gibson
T45: Lucas Herbert
T64: Greg Chalmers, Aaron Baddeley
MC: Brett Drewitt, Curtis Luck

Challenge Tour
British Challenge Presented by Modest! Golf Management
T7: Dimitrios Papadatos
T15: Blake Windred
T49: Daniel Gaunt
MC: Deyen Lawson

Ladies European Tour
Creekhouse Ladies Open
T14: Stephanie Kyriacou
T55: Whitney Hillier
MC: Amy Walsh

LET Access Series
Flumserberg Ladies Open
T24: Kristalle Blum
T61: Victoria Fricot