Cameron Smith returns to major championship contention
Cameron Smith – in action in today’s final round – image PGA of America
Cameron Smith has returned to major contention with a near miss at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia, getting within one shot of the lead when he birdied the 9th. Although unable to challenge for the victory late in the round, he produced his best finish in a major championship in over two years and finished 72 holes for the first time in his last seven attempts at this level.
Smith finished in a share of 7th place and, although five shots from the winner, Aaron Rai, he was just two shots out of a tie for second place.
A switch from the man who guided him to such success earlier in his career, Grant Field, to his new coach, Claude Harmon, would appear to have been the catalyst for a significant turnaround. However, Field must be congratulated and not overlooked for the role he has played in assisting Smith to some giddy heights in the game.
Harmon’s undoubted success with a range of players no doubt played its part in the decision by Smith, but also Harmon’s base in Florida was likely a factor, the tyranny of distance, perhaps playing its part.
“I mean, just the belief that I’m doing the right thing,” said Smith when asked what he would take away from this week. “That’s really it. It was a hard call to make to my coach. I had been seeing Grant (field) since I was 9 years old. So I’d been with him for 23 years, and probably one of the most difficult phone calls I’ve ever had to make.
“And, yeah, it’s still kind of lingering, but I feel like I’ve made the right call, and I can see it in my golf and just my strike of the ball and seeing some different shots. It’s been nice.”
“It was really solid,” added Smith, referring to his final round of 68. “I mean, I got off to the start that I wanted to get off to. Hit a few kind of, I guess, wayward drives there on the back nine, but still had a few looks at birdie and just wasn’t able to capitalize on the back nine.
“I haven’t been there in a little while. It was good. I love that stuff. That’s why we compete. We compete to win, and it was nice to get the heart rate up and, you know, feel your hands and your legs get a little bit jelly. It was cool.
“And I’m happy with how I played with all that going on as well. So like I said, lots of positive stuff.”
Smith reached the turn in 3 under to get to 5 under for the championship, and at that point was just one shot from the lead of Alex Smalley, who had only just finished his second hole.
His only real mistake came when he three-putted the 17th hole, but still had an outside chance of getting within one of the lead at that point when he stood over a 16-foot putt for birdie at the last.
The putt missed, and he fell to 4 under, and with Justin Thomas already in the clubhouse at 5 under, his chance of a second major title was gone.
“I mean, I wanted to hole that putt (on the 18th). I feel like there was a lot of good putts I hit on the back nine. The one on the 18th was probably the worst putt I hit all day, which was frustrating.
“But I had lots of good looks. I’m proud of how I hung in there today, and I’m proud of how I showed up this week, with a new thought and a new swing.
“I mean, it feels great to play nice. You don’t work hard to play crap, and it’s frustrating, and the last couple of years have been frustrating. I feel like I’ve been putting in the work and not really getting anything out of it.
“I made a swing coach switch a couple weeks ago now to Claude (Harmon), and we’ve just managed to clean up a few things that were perhaps a little bit off, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more confidence in my swing.
“Even out there today, under the pressure I felt like I was able to trust it already. So lots of positive signs.
Smith led the eight-strong Australasian challenge while Min Woo Lee was 18th, Daniel Hillier 27th in his first PGA Championship, Ryan Fox 35th, Jason Day 65th and Elvis Smylie 75th.
