SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The 150th edition of the British Open ended on Sunday in a festive atmosphere as Australian Cameron Smith literally stole the show with a final card of 64, including 6 birdies on the back nine. We expected more a 5e major title for Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who had to settle for 3e rung, following a final round of 70.
Already a winner of the Tournament of Champions and the Players Championship this year, Smith has clearly demonstrated that he is the best on the greens when the pressure turns up a notch. The series of 5 consecutive birdies between the 10e et 14e holes allowed him to climb to the top of the tournament. He not only shone on the greens, he put his shots in the right place and was never in danger, except for the 17e hole on which he brilliantly saved the par on a putt from ten feet. He also becomes the first player to bring back two cards of 64 or better during a major tournament in addition to equaling, with a minus-20, the best score ever obtained during this championship. He even allowed himself to beat St. Andrews’ record score by one stroke, a record set in 2000 by Tiger Woods.
Author of a card of 73 during the 3e round Saturday, during which he was unrecognizable on the greens (35 putts), Smith quickly set the record straight in the final round with 10 pars and eight birdies. This victory allows him to increase his earnings to nearly $ 10 million for the current season. It is also a 6e career title, having also won the PGA Championship of Australia twice. There is no doubt that he will be in the next edition of the Presidents Cup next September and surely in the next edition which will take place in Montreal in 2024.
Cameron Smith triumphs at St. Andrews
It was finally the American Cameron Young who won the 2e place thanks to a spectacular eagle on the last hole. Young, 25, has impressed many with the quality and consistency of his game. Recognized as one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, he has demonstrated that finesse and strategy are also part of his arsenal. We are talking here about a player who is in his first season on the big circuit who, barely 2 years ago, played on the Canadian circuit before joining the Korn Ferry circuit and registering two victories there. Sa 2e place allows him to increase his earnings to more than 5.8 million dollars… not too bad for a rookie!
Crowd favorite Rory McIlroy has nothing to be ashamed of as he played very methodically in the final round, hitting virtually every green in prescribed strokes. His putter let him down somewhat, as he resorted to 36 putts on the 4e round. His game was solid, but the lack of opportunism on the greens prevented him from getting his hands on a 5e major title. McIlroy however claims 4 top-8 at the majors this year.
Finally, a few words about Viktor Hovland for whom nothing worked out in the final round. We felt he was a little hesitant at the start of the round and his game in general had nothing to do with the one he had presented to us the day before. Canadian Corey Conners did well on Sunday with a card of 67, claiming a cumulative score of minus-8, good for a tie in 28e position.
All in all, it was a great competition, contested on a firm and very fast course. There were plenty of tee shots over 350 yards, but they still had to be placed in the right place. Players used their creativity and were forced to imagine shots and trajectories they are not used to. That’s part of the charm of the British Open, a one-of-a-kind tournament.
Make way for the 3M Omnium
The 3M Open will get under way this Thursday in Blaine, Minnesota. The defending champion, Cameron Champ, will have to be wary of Tony Finau, Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day and Sungjae Im who are the main seeds present at this tournament. RDS will present rounds 3 and 4 of this tournament this weekend. You will also be able to follow the progress of the four rounds of the British Senior Open from Thursday, at noon, on the rounds of RDS. This major tournament will come to you live from the Gleneagles course in Scotland.
