Cameron Smith improves to 10th as Xander Schauffele wins Scottish Open
Xander Schauffele – photo Getty Images / DP World Tour
Cameron Smith staged an impressive weekend recovery over a windswept Renaissance Club at the Genesis Scottish Open and has finished in a share of 10th in the lead-up to this coming week’s Open Championship.
Smith’s second round of 75 cost him any chance of contending for the title but he bounced back over the weekend to move from 49th to 10th over the final 36 holes and will no doubt head up the road to St Andrews feeling good about his game.
The tournament was won by Olympic Gold Medal winner, Xander Schauffele, who continues his recent form having won at his last start at the Travelers Championship last month and the Pro Am event in Ireland last week and he must now enter calculations as a genuine chance for success at the 150th open Championship.
Schauffele will move from his current 11th place in the world ranking to 5th given the strength of this week”s field
Schauffele was delighted to have been the first player to win an event jointly sanctioned between the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour of America.
“It’s great to win the first event that’s co-sanctioned between the two tours. It was an incredible week. Genesis has always put on — the tournaments I have played they have always put on incredible events and I knew this was going to be no different and what an honour to win in the Home of Golf.
“I’m playing some of the best golf of my life and capitalising on playing really well. There’s a lot of times all the top players, any player playing professionally plays very well but they don’t get everything out of it and I feel like I’ve been successful in getting the most out of my game.”
Looking ahead to next week Schauffele was asked how he felt about heading to St Andrews.
“To be honest, a bit rushed. I’ve never played St Andrews. I’ve never played the Old Course South so a lot of homework to do.
“I have to use this time, going down at eleven o’clock at night to my advantage to try to prepare to the best of my ability. Going to rely a lot on my caddie to do that. I’m tired. I’ve played a bit and I need a rest and I need to get ready for the week. I’m not even thinking about Sunday quite yet. I need to prepare.”
Smith headed the Australians in 10th place but Jason Scrivener also had a good week when he finished just one shot behind Smith and in a share of 16th place.
Scrivener produced the best of the day final round of 65 to jump 37 places and he too now heads to St Andrews for just his second start at The Open Championship, earning over 100,000 euro for his effort this week.
Ryan Fox finished 47th after a final round of 69.
