ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The stage at St. Andrews was set for Rory McIlroy.
The show belonged to Cameron Smith, and so did that silver board jug he won in Sunday’s stunning Open Championship with the best close the Old Course has ever seen.
Smith trailed by four shots at the start as a record crowd looked forward to seeing McIlroy cap off a week of celebrations at the 150th Open in style. He was trailing by three when he made the turn.
And then the plucky Aussie with his magical putter reeled off five straight birdies to take the lead, looked a nervous putt around the edge of the rogue Road Hole bunker to salvage a tie and finished with two 80-foot putts for birdie for an 8-under 64.
“Winning the Open Championship in itself would probably be the highlight of a golfer’s career,” Smith said. “I think it’s just amazing to do it around St Andrews.”
So was his golf.
In the previous 29 times the oldest golf championship has been held at St. Andrews, no winner has finished with a 64. Smith finished at 20-under 268, a record score for the Old Course and matching the lowest par score at any big game.
“I was beaten by the better player this week. To go out and shoot 64 to win the St. Andrews Open is a hell of a performance. Hats off to Cam,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy hit every green in regulation and birdied two all _ two were birdies, the rest were pars _ for a 70 that left him in third place and having to wait nearly nine months before he could try to end his major drought this is now eight full years old.
Smith won by one stroke over Cameron Young, who made a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole to briefly tie for the lead.
That wasn’t enough, and neither was anything McIlroy could muster.
McIlroy couldn’t make a putt early. He couldn’t hit it late enough. His last good chance was a 15-foot birdie attempt on the dangerous fairway hole at No. 17, and he narrowly missed the left. McIlroy needed an eagle to tie it, and his chip through Sin Valley didn’t stand a chance.
Smith won for the third time this year, all on completely different courses _ the generous fairways of Kapalua, the visual intimidation of the water at TPC Sawgrass and the world’s oldest links with its double greens and bunkers.
He beat the No. 1 player in the world (Jon Rahm) at Kapalua. He beat the best field in golf at The Players Championship. And he had to overcome a four-stroke deficit against a serious crowd favorite to capture his first major.
Even with the silver burgundy jug in his hands, it was hard to believe.
“Every name out there, every player that’s been at the top of their game has won that championship,” Smith said. “It’s great to be there. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will happen in a few weeks. Yeah, it’s just unreal.”
Smith is the first Australian to win at St Andrews since Kell Nagle in 1960, when he beat a rising American star named Arnold Palmer, the crowd’s choice.
That’s McIlroy now. He moved into the void left when Tiger Woods missed the cut in what might have been his last Open at St. Andrews. He had the support that carried him to the pinnacle of victory at the home of golf. “The Holy Grail,” McIlroy had called it earlier in the week.
All day there was energy on the humps and ruts of the Old Course, all waiting to celebrate McIlroy as the St. Louis Open champion. Andrews.
They cheered them up a bit.
“My putter went cold,” McIlroy said. “When both Camerons — especially Smith — made that run on the back nine, I had to dig deep to make birdies. And I just couldn’t.”
That left Smith, the 28-year-old Australian known for his guts and putting stroke, on the 18th green to be unveiled as the “Champion Golfer of the Year”.
Smith is the first Australian to win the Open since Greg Norman in 1993 at Royal St George. Norman was asked not to return this year _ there was no indication he would come _ because of his Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which offered millions to attract players like Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, major champions with top-10 finishes.
But this day belonged to Smith and to this player who answered every test.
McIlroy played controlled golf, his only birdie a two-putt from 18 feet on the par-5 fifth. Victor Hovland, who started the final round tied with McIlroy, was never a factor. He didn’t make his first birdie until the 12th hole and closed with a 74.
What Smith performed on the back nine is now part of Open lore.
He hit a great putt to 5 feet for birdie on the short 10th. He was brave to the back pin on the par-3 11th and holed a 15-foot birdie, and he birdied the next two holes from about that length. His fifth straight putt was a 90-footer on the par-5 14th, over a huge mound and down the slope to tap-in range, giving him the lead for the first time.
McIlroy couldn’t catch up. His lag was great. It wasn’t what he needed. And he got no help from Smith, whose one missed shot provided his biggest challenge.
The fairway bunker was between him and the flag on the 17th. He used his putter to skip the right edge of the bunker to the green, 10 feet away, and poured in another shot, this one for par, to stay in front.
Young had his chances in his Open debut. He left a short 6-footer with about a foot break on the 15th. He got away with a wedge on the next hole. He tries his drive and approach to the 17th, only to leave another birdie chance short.
He finally surrendered, but all it got him was a 65 and the silver medal. In two majors this year, the PGA Tour rookie missed a playoff by one shot at the PGA Championship and hit his best shot too late at St. Andrews.
Smith made his final birdie and the engraver set to work on the board jug, a prize first awarded to the 1873 champion at St Andrews. There’s a lot of history surrounding this gray old town, and Smith became part of it in a big way.
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