Cam Smith wins the 150th Open Championship

Cameron Smith is Australia’s newest major champion after a masterful bogey-free final round 64 propelled him to a record-breaking 20 under total and a place in golfing history.

His round of eight birdies – with six on the difficult back nine of the Old Course – saw him seize the lead from 54-hole leader and overwhelming crowd favourite Rory McIlroy with the St. Andrews skyline within sight.

A two-foot birdie putt on the iconic 18^th green sealed the deal and a one-stroke victory over playing partner American Cameron Young, who rolled in a 17-foot putt on the same green for eagle to leapfrog McIlroy into outright second. The Northern Irishman needed to eagle the 72^nd hole to force a playoff with Smith but could only par the hole.

Fifty years and four days after Sydneysider Kel Nagle saw off a final round charge from the then biggest name in the game, Arnold Palmer, to win the Centenary Open, Smith has added his name to the Claret Jug.

On that day back in 1960, Nagle stood on the steps of the R&A clubhouse wearing a jacket borrowed from good mate Peter Thomson, clutching the Claret Jug and a smaller replica of the trophy. On Sunday evening, Smith did a lap of honour in front of the grandstands lining the 1^st and 18^th hole, showing off the shiny Claret Jug as the seemingly thousands of Australians in the gallery chanted “Smithy, Smithy, Smithy”.

“I feel like a can breathe now,” said Smith as he fronted the media with the oldest trophy in golf perched in front of him.

“These last four or five holes aren't easy around here, especially with the wind up off the left. I just stuck to what I was doing … just really proud of how I kind of knuckled down today and managed to get it done.”

Cam Smith putts from short of the ominous Road Hole bunker to set up his par on the 17th hole. PHOTO: Getty Images.

When told of his achievement 50 years on from Nagle’s win, Smith confessed to not realising the symmetry but said: “That's pretty cool.”

“I think, to win an Open Championship in itself is probably going to be a golfer's highlight in their career. To do it around St. Andrews, I think is just unbelievable.

“This place is so cool. I love the golf course. I love the town. Yeah, hopefully we can keep that trend going with every 50 years. That would be nice, wouldn't it?”

Smith is the fifth Australian, and the third at St. Andrews, to be named the Champion Golfer of the Year for winning the Open Championship. He joins Peter Thomson (1954, ’55, ’56, ’58, ’65), Nagle (1960), Greg Norman (1986, ’93) and Ian Baker-Finch (1991).

The 28-year-old began the final day four strokes adrift of McIlroy and Norway’s Viktor Hovland after a third round 73, when his always reliable putter went stone cold.

Smith said he was proud of the way he “stuck with it” late in the third round and didn’t let the tournament get way from him.

“It was bit of a struggle yesterday afternoon,” he said. “I probably played those last few holes maybe even-par or 1-under. So to do that and really keep myself in the tournament, I think, was good, especially when things aren't really going your way.

“It's easy to just kind of throw the towel in and really let it get away from you. Yeah, just stuck in there, and it was worth it today.”

Smith drives on the 18th to set up a closing birdie and seal the championship. PHOTO: Getty Images.

A session on the putting green as darkness fell over St. Andrews on Saturday night was one of the keys to improving by nine shots in the final round.

“I didn't do anything wrong yesterday. It was just really one of those days,” Smith said.

“So, I shrugged it off pretty good, hit a few putts. I just wanted to see a few putts go in. I didn't think there was really anything wrong technically. I just wanted to see a few putts go in before I went to sleep, and that kind of put me at ease to know that it really wasn't me, it was just kind of one of those days.

“I think that was the best thing I did all week was just to go out there and spend five minutes on the green.”

His march into Open history began on the 2^nd hole, where he hit an iron to 10-feet and rolled in his first of eight birdies in the round.

He two-putted for birdie from 90 feet on the par-5 5^th hole to move to 14 under but was still two shots in arrears of McIlroy, who was treading water in the pairing behind him.

Smith made the turn and needed something special to over the trek back into town to win. And he delivered.

Five consecutive birdies from the par-4 10^th saw him catch and overtake McIlroy as he reached 19 under.

His most nerve-wracking moment came at the hardest hole on the course – the Road Hole par-4 17^th – when his approach from 158 yards fell short of the green and his ball came to rest with the cavernous Road Hole bunker lying between him and the hole. The short game wizard opted for the putter and, using the contours surrounding the pot bunker, he rolled his approach onto the green and 10 feet from the cup. He rolled in the par-saver to keep his bogey-free round going.

Smith took driver from the tee on 18 and blasted a 327-yard drive to finish just short of the putting surface. From there he stamped himself as one of the greatest lag putters of the modern game, stroking an 80-footer across the famous green to two-feet. Job done.

Job done. Open Champion. PHOTO: Getty Images.

The reigning Players Champion collected some records in claiming the Claret Jug, including matching the lowest score to par in major championship history (20 under) as well as sharing the St. Andrews 36-hole scoring record with Norman, Nick Faldo and Louis Oosthuizen. He also bettered Tiger Woods’ winning St. Andrews score of 269 by one stroke.

More importantly, he brings to an end the 29-year drought between Australian wins at The Open Championship.

Smith led an excellent campaign for the Australians at St. Andrews.

Lucas Herbert (67), Anthony Quayle (67) and Adam Scott (71) all finished at 10 under for the championship and T15.

Scott looked like he might make a run at the Claret Jug when he reached 13 under through 10 holes but he drove into a gorse bush right of the 12^th hole, which resulted in a double bogey and all momentum was lost. It was his 40^th top-25 finish in his 86^th major championship appearance.

Min Woo Lee had six birdies in his final round 68 to finish T21 at nine under, while Jason Scrivener and Brad Kennedy both finished at four under and T53.

For Smith, a night of celebration was on the cards although he fully expected “to be in bed by 11.”