Cameron Smith entered the final round of the British Open four strokes behind the lead but won The Open Championship with a historic finish.
Coming into the final round of the British Open, it seemed as if The Open Championship was a two-man race. Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland had a four-stroke lead at the Old Course at St. Andrews and, with the way they played, it was hard to imagine anyone catching them. Cameron Smith, however, more than imagined it.
Recapturing the putter that put him in the 36-hole lead before a disappointing Saturday, the Australian who has been in contention at The Masters on a couple of occasions already made sure to not just get back into contention, but to pull off the robbery of the century.
McIlroy didn’t play badly, but Smith played historically good, firing off a Sunday 64 — making him the first golfer to shoot two rounds of 64 or better in Open Championship history — to best his Northern Irish counterpart and win the British Open.
Cameron Smith win the British Open: Golf Twitter in awe of surreal comeback
Golf Twitter was both gutted for McIlroy (as many were) but also had no choice to applaud what Smith did on Sunday to take the major championship, his first, by the neck and bring it home.
You shoot 64 twice at the Old Course, you deserve to win. Simple as that. An all-time performance from Cameron Smith. Playoff at worst.
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) July 17, 2022
As far back as the stats go, Rory McIlroy is the only player to hold the 54-hole lead at a major, hit every green in regulation in the final round and not win.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) July 17, 2022
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) July 17, 2022
Sucks for Rory, but man Cam Smith is so good
— Jack Crosby (@JCrosbyCBS) July 17, 2022
Mostly just excited for Cameron Smith to break this streak pic.twitter.com/XrNXdLHb2r
— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) July 17, 2022
the guy who's been banned from The Track in Destin for driving the wrong way just won the British Open pic.twitter.com/xz27j9sVWi
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) July 17, 2022
— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) July 17, 2022
When you’re getting ready to go play and she says “where do you think you’re going ???” pic.twitter.com/smzkRBPOlY
— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) July 17, 2022
Or both 😢 https://t.co/NRPE7FrPCo
— Rick Gehman (@RickRunGood) July 17, 2022
Listen, we said "come what may" yesterday and I still feel the same way. Bogey-free final round, didn't make anything and got beat by one of the most legitimately impressive performances ever.
— D.J. Piehowski (@DJPie) July 17, 2022
Maybe the best tournament I've ever watched. Non-Cat division for sure.
Cam Smith's hair 🤝 Cam Smith's golfing
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 17, 2022
Party in the back
Smith was all class from start to finish with controlled aggression and an en fuego flat stick. Everything he looked at, he rolled, in, particularly on the back-nine as he needed just 12 putts on his final nine holes coming in to move to 20-under for the tournament and win.
This is likely a floodgates moment for Smith. We’ve seen this coming and, in the most unlikely of circumstances, he made history to get his first major. But it’s also immense heartbreak for Rory McIlroy, whose major drought will now enter its ninth year, despite being all so close so many times this year.
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