Cameron Smith has fallen painfully short in his valiant quest to win the PGA Championship in Pennsylvania. After threatening to nab the lead all day, Smith’s final-round two-under-par 68 ultimately left Australia’s one-time world No.2 one shot behind clubhouse leader Justin Thomas, and five shots behind eventual winner Aaron Rai.
A Change in Approach Pays Dividends
Smith had missed the cut at the past six major championships before parting ways with lifelong coach Grant Field after another premature exit at last month’s Masters. The change-up paid immediate dividends this week at Aronimink Golf Club. But, bidding to become the first Australian to add the Wanamaker Trophy to the Claret Jug, the 2022 British Open champion couldn’t buy a putt on the back nine on Sunday.
Heartbreak on the Greens
Smith shaved the hole on four occasions and his failed 18-foot attempt to reach Thomas’s five-under four-round total epitomised the 32-year-old’s despair. After starting the day four strokes behind American third-round leader Alex Smalley, Smith picked up three birdies on his front nine in a lightning start to soar to five under and within one shot of the lead. His start could have been even better if he hadn’t been left lamenting a cruel lip-out on the fifth hole and then cursed himself for leaving an eagle try on the par-5 ninth short.
A Glimmer of Hope
Still, sporting the same maroon-coloured shirt he donned during his unforgettable Open comeback triumph at St Andrews four years ago, Smith remained poised for a similar back-nine charge. The golfing gods smiled on the Queenslander when he still had sight of the green on holes 10 and 12 despite driving wildly right, while Smith also made a scrambling par from the bunker on 11. His best save, though, came with a seven-foot sliding putt on the beastly 527-yard 15th, which this week played as the longest par-4 in major championship history.
Final Holes Slip Away
Alas, Smith was unable to birdie the par-5 16th and then made his first three-putt of the tournament on the penultimate hole to slip one stroke behind Thomas. His hopes were officially dashed with a par at the last. Fellow Australian Min Woo Lee never contended after starting the final round alongside Smith at two under and in a tie for 11th. Lee closed with a one-over 71 to be sitting equal 21st.
