The quiet and humble Cameron Smith scored a decisive victory at the TPC sawtooth pitch and achieved a new breakthrough in his career.
(Cameron Smith makes a new career breakthrough in the Players Tournament)
In the 2015 US Open final round, Dustin Johnson's mistake on the last hole will be remembered as an incredible regret. The DJ missed the 12-foot Eagle push he could have won, and the awkward three pushes put him in second place. Chambers Bay, outside Tacoma, Washington, where the U.S. Open was held at the time, saw "Peter Pan" Jordan Spieth lift his second Grand Slam trophy that year.
Now, seven years later, though, as Cameron Smith wins the Players Championship, let's go back to that final round at Chambers Bay and revisit a neglected focus.
(A good result at the U.S. Open earned Smith an interim membership on the PGA Tour.)
Just before dj's final hole crashed, Smith, an unknown 21-year-old Australian player, nearly hit an impossible albatross from 283 yards. In the end, he won the Eagles ball on this hole, playing 70-70-69-68 in four rounds to end the game in a tie for fourth place.
Spieth's victory was well deservedly praised. He was indeed a genius. But looking back, the obscure Smith is quietly opening the door to the future with his T4 achievements, and this significance can be said to be comparable to Spieth's victory, isn't it?
The U.S. Open's T4 earned 21-year-old Smith a special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, a feat he had already done at the time. Smith said at the time: "Words are no longer enough to express my feelings, I can't believe I have achieved such a result." ”
(Smith who remains humble at all times)
Seven years later, 28-year-old Smith has been on the PGA Tour for seven years. In the final round of the Players' Championship, which had just passed, he turned the tide, shooting 66 to win the most prize-winning golf tournament with a total score of -13. Facing the camera at such a moment, what did he say?
"I can't believe I've won yet," the phrase is ample testament to the humility he has always maintained, and that he's still the quiet and humble Australian he has been since that year's U.S. Open.
In fact, when the highly anticipated moment of winning the Players Championship arrived, Smith choked back tears. Not only because of this honor, but also because of the two people in front of him who meant a lot to him. Due to the restrictions of the epidemic prevention policy, he has not seen his mother Sharon and sister Mel for two and a half years. This time, they came to the scene and witnessed Smith's victory.
(Smith wins the championship in the presence of family and friends)
"It feels really good to have them here and my main task now is to spend time with them. In the coming weeks, golf is second," Smith said, "and it's great to meet family here and it's great to have a win in front of them."
To be honest, Smith was overly modest, and it wasn't just "a win." It was a victory for the most talented players and a great test of willpower. During the week, the Pontevedra Beach area in Florida suffered a series of heavy rainfall, with the first round of matches starting at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday and experiencing about 54 hours until saturday.
The tournament saw a rare long hiatus, with some players completing the first round on Thursday and not starting the second round until Sunday. In this case, it is difficult to maintain your own rhythm, but one thing is clear, that is, you must stick to every round.
However, this is the home field for Smith. While many young players opted for the hustle and bustle of South Florida, the Australian, who loves cafes and prefers to spend time fixing cars, is very happy with his home.
"Jacksonville (Florida) is cool. I call this place home," he said.
(Smith moves up to sixth in the world rankings)
And people here are happy for him, especially when he showed his courage in the game, did not miss any chance to catch birds, and squeezed into the top ten of the world rankings.
In the first three rounds, Smith hit a 69-71-69 record and rose to T6 when the final round arrived on Monday afternoon, two strokes behind the leader. He caught up from the start of the final round, catching five birds in the first six holes.
But he swallowed back-to-back bogeys on the 7-9 hole, bringing the other four to tie with a -9 mark. However, the Australian caught four more birdies in a row on the 10-13th hole, then tee off on the 17th hole with a split bar and another bird.
(Smith's tee off the fairway on No. 18)
The 10th birdie gave Smith a three-stroke lead. On the last hole, Smith first drove the ball to the bushes on the right, then shot the second shot into the water and was sent off. Despite his embarrassment, he said bluntly, "If I say I'm not in a hurry, I'm definitely lying." ”
Meanwhile, india's previously leading Indian player Aniban Rashiri made a birdie on the 17th hole, which forced Smith to play every push from 60 yards from the hole to maintain the lead as much as possible.
Smith spared no effort to remain calm, and he did exactly that, eventually handing over an impressive 66.
(Smith hugged his family and caddies after the game)
When Rashiri failed to chase the 18th hole, Smith rushed over and hugged his mother and sister, feeling relieved that the key to his victory was an extraordinary steady play.
"I feel like winning heavyweight races is my next goal," said Smith, who won his fifth PGA Tour title at the Sentinel Championship earlier this year, and he also had two good performances at the Masters (T2 2020; T5 2018) and, of course, the completely neglected U.S. Open T4 that year.
"I've missed the championship several times, and this time it's finally my turn."