Cameron Smith’s claims 3rd PGA title and fifth of 2022
Smith claims his third Australian PGA Championship – photo PGA of Australia
Cameron Smith today won his third Australian PGA Championship, his fifth title of 2022 and although some would argue he should be the number two player in the world, in many eyes he is, so 2022 has been a breakthrough year in so many ways for the 29 year old and a year of change, but there is one more task to complete a remarkable 12 months.
That will be to win the Australian Open and after his near miss in 2016 when runner-up after a playoff against Jordan Spieth and Ashley Hall, the door is now open to claim every golfer’s wish other than a major title, their own national open when that event begins in Melbourne on Thursday.
The only thing that appeared capable of stopping Cameron Smith from adding a third Australian PGA Championship today was a forecast storm in Brisbane and that so nearly proved to be the case.
As the last group of Smith, Masahiro Kawamura and Yan Wei Liu walked to their approaches to the 10th hole at 1.25, storms which had been building all afternoon unleashed their fury on the Royal Queensland layout with Smith one ahead of Jason Scrivener at the time.
Smith’s three shot 54-hole lead had been reduced to just one and with Smith having missed the green at the 10th the possibility existed when play would resume that he and Scrivener would share the lead.
Another shot back was Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune whose score of 5 under through 11 holes included an eagle at the driveable 2nd hole. Hisatsune may well be the unknown figure amongst the final few groups but he has performed well in Japan in recent times and has a world ranking considerably higher than many of those around him.
When the threat of lightning eased and play did get underway again at 3.10, Smith saving par at the 10th, Scrivener also saving par at the 12th and Hisatsune producing a birdie at the 12th to get to 11 under and soon after he was tied with Hisatsune and Smith who would bogey the 11th.
Play resumed for only a short period and at one stage it appeared as if Monday morning might have to be used to finish the event but just after 4.00pm the rain lifted and there was enough daylight left to get the event finished.
Smith rebounded with a superb recovery shot over a tree for at the driveable par 4 12th and then birdied again at the par 5 13th and moved two ahead.
He was however just one ahead after Scrivener birdied the 15th and the title was on the line again.
Then however came disaster for Scrivener when he putted from just off the front of the green into a bunker at the 17th and took double bogey and when Smith knocked in a 12 footer for birdie at the 16th his lead was an near unassailable three, and he parred in to win by three over Scrivener and Hisatsune.
Having started the week with a satisfactory but hardly impressive round of 68, he steadily improved in a week where so much of his time was absorbed by the demands of being presented the keys of the city of Brisbane, the Greg Norman Medal for Australian Golfer of the Year and the burden of performing well in front of friends family and a growing fan base.
That he was able to hold off one or two spirited challenges to his lead given the distractions he faced this week gives further evidence of the growth of the man and the golfer.
“I really didn’t think I had it in me at the start of the week,” he said in his post-round interview.
“I was a bit scratchy and the game has got better and better as the week went on, other than the front nine today.”
“I guess it’s just a little bit frustrating,” he added referring to the rains delays You’re kind of in the mojo there a little bit and for it to be stopped not once, but twice, is a little bit frustrating. But just held onto it and played really solid those last eight holes.
“Obviously Scrivy (Jason Scrivener) is a great player and I knew he’d keep putting the pressure on me. It was a good last seven holes. I mean, lots of pressure and the golf course really wasn’t letting up even though it was a little bit softer.
“I think when we went in for that second time, I think I was just really tired. I came in, had a coffee, tried to get some energy back in me and went out there and played really solid the last seven or eight holes. It was kind of nice to know that I can do that with not much in the tank.”
Smith was also motivated by two significant family factors which played a role in keeping him going over the final stages.
“Yeah, I can’t believe she did it,” referring to his Nan who had walked with him every day. “Everyone at the start of the week was telling her to pace herself and she was out there all day every day, so it was pretty amazing. Definitely inspiring. I don’t know how she did it, but it was also my Dad’s birthday as well. After I got back to the tie for the lead there after 11, I really wanted to do it for those two.”
photo – PGA of Australia
