It won’t be much consolation for Rory McIlroy that Cameron Smith produced a big Championship final round for the ages to win a 150th Open. McIlroy found himself a step away from Sin Valley, wedge in hand, needing to take two out to join Smith in a playoff. The crowd gave an impromptu roar in the vain hopes of a sporting fairytale. How did it get here?
There would be no moment of wonder. McIlroy’s wait for a fifth major would continue into 2023. Salt was poured into McIlroy’s wounds by the fact that he didn’t even finish second here. An eagle on the 72nd hole from Cameron Young, who was enjoying an outstanding Open debut, secured him second place. Smith’s 20 under par edged Young by one and a sad but magnanimous McIlroy by two.
It’s hard to say McIlroy did much wrong during the fourth round, other than perhaps not capitalizing on the opportunity properly. He will be stung, for example, if he fails to birdie the 9th or 14th. It was the wrong time for McIlroy to play a round of the St Andrews Open not in the 1960s for the first time. A mere 70, two under par, was not enough to keep pace with the unflappable Smith. The Australian’s back nine of 30 is the lowest Sunday half score of any champion in Open history.
The 28-year-old is no longer one of the best golfers of this generation to never win a major. He played with fearlessness from day four, making him a worthy champion of such a landmark event. Smith, who won the Players Championship in March, is having the time of his life.
With McIlroy and Victor Hovland in the final group, it was the Norwegian who blinked first. Hovland three-putted the 4th, giving McIlroy a one-shot lead. McIlroy comfortably bogeyed the par-five 5th to double his advantage.
Hovland played hesitantly. The pressure on McIlroy suddenly arrived from elsewhere. Smith birdied the 10th and 11th to move within one. Almost immediately, McIlroy left a 126-foot putt on the 10th in tee range. The two-stroke margin of error has been restored, with McIlroy now 18 under. Smith responded by picking up another shot on the 12th. Smith, now five under for his round, posed a serious threat.
That challenge from the Brisbane native intensified with a fourth consecutive birdie, this time from 15 feet. The lead was already shared. Smith was inspired, McIlroy knew what was happening in the group at the front. 19-under Smith played 18-under McIlroy until he bogeyed the 14th.
Desperate Rory McIlroy on the 18th hole. Photo: Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock
It seemed incredible to remember that Smith had started the day four shots behind McIlroy and Hovland. Hovland’s 74 meant he was tied for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, who carded a 67.
Young, meanwhile, played down his disappointment despite signing for a 65. “It probably hurts a little bit worse to be one shot short,” he said. “If you lose by eight, you don’t really care.” The 25-year-old’s curious breakout year has seen him miss two matches, tie third and second.
Smith chipped his shot as early as the 15th but managed to save a par from a favorable lie in the rough. McIlroy had to make short work of the par-5 14th but fell short after missing the green in two. Smith recorded a two-shot par on the 16th and refused to waver on the iconic fairway hole despite missing the green with his approach. McIlroy’s last realistic hope came on this penultimate hole after a majestic iron to 18 feet. As the birdie putt dribbled past him, Smith had one hand and four fingers on the Claret Jug.
Brian Harman and Dustin Johnson finished sixth at 13-under. Bryson DeChambeau joined Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth one stroke back. Adam Scott’s 71 left him 10 behind Smith, but there were words of praise for Smith. “He’s healthy and he’s picked up his game quickly,” Scott said of his fellow Australian. “He learned to play golf very well, very quickly. I think his mind is a great asset and so is his player. “I don’t know if you can say it was inevitable that he would have that opportunity, but based on talent? Yes.”
Filippo Celli, the 21-year-old Italian, secured low amateur honors with five under. After finishing three shots short of that score, LIV Rebel Sergio Garcia made it clear he wasn’t enjoying his week much. The open back at St Andrews in 2030 seems a bridge too far for Garcia. “Probably difficult,” he said of his appearance after eight years. “And the way everyone reacts to us, probably even tougher. Things are coming to an end. That’s right.”
Speaking to media from his home country, the Spaniard added that he would withdraw from DP World, formerly the European Tour, which would rule him out of future Ryder Cups. Garcia feels victimized in Europe after signing up for the LIV Series. Feverish speculation continues to link Henrik Stenson, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, to this controversial domain. With Greg Norman at the helm of the Saudi-backed operation to which McIlroy is so staunchly opposed, there’s a joke somewhere about the Aussies giving the Northern Irishman grief. Maybe now is not the time to tell it.
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