St. Andrews, Scotland – Cameron Smith has won The Open.  In the 150th playing of this storied tournament, another page has been written into the history books at the home of golf.  With a score of 20-under-par, he matched the lowest score to par in the history of major championships.  

What sealed the day for Smith was his putting, and particularly in the last few holes.  He lit the back-nine on fire, draining putt after putt to card five birdies in a row with a score of 30 overall.  That back-nine score also matched the lowest back nine score of any major champion.  Along with becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year, winning his third PGA Tour event just this year and the fifth of his career.  Smith was also the only player in Open history to have scored two rounds of 64 or lower.  

Going into the final round, it seemed like a man-to-man showdown between Rory McIlroy and Victor Hovland who were both at 16-under.  However, both seemed to shrink a bit on the final day.  Hovland went on to shoot a 2-over 74.  As for McIlroy, his putter abandoned him.  Despite shooting 2-under on the final day, he had 36 putts and didn’t drain any when he needed to today. 

Cameron Smith wasn’t the only one with that name to play well.  Cameron Young performed extremely well too.  In just his first Open appearance, he finished in second place with a score of 19-under par.  Other notables included the three Americans tied for eighth place: Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, and Jordan Speith all finishing with a score of 12-under-par. 

Next week the PGA Tour moves on to Blaine, Minnesota.  There, players will compete at the 3M Open where last year, Cameron Champ won his third PGA Tour title.  While some players will undoubtedly be taking a break after The Open, there are premier-level players that’ll be traveling to Minnesota to compete.  The field will include notables such as Hideki Matsuyama, Lucas Glover, and the recent John Deere Classic winner J.T. Poston.  Matt Wolff won’t be in attendance, however.  Despite being the inaugural 3M Open winner, he’s been barred from playing due to his commitment to playing on the LIV Tour.

Cameron Smith’s What’s In The Bag:

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (D4 setting, 10° set at 10.75°) / Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3 Wood: Titleist TSi2 (D4 setting, 15° set at 15.75°) / Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X

Driving Iron: Mizuno Pro Hi-Fli (3) / KBS Tour 130 X Custom Matte Black

Irons: Titleist T100 Black (5-9) / KBS Tour 130 X Custom Matte Black

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 Jet Black (46° 10F, 52° 08F, 56° 08M), Titleist WedgeWorks Proto Jet Black (60° T) / KBS Tour 130 X Custom Matte Black 

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M Prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

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Drew Koch

Drew is an entertainment journalist that has covered everything from golf, TV/film, art, and food for years. He’ll be looking to bring you the latest stories from the PGA Tour and the greatest equipment on offer. A single-digit handicap, he’s been playing competitive golf since childhood, and recorded three holes-in-one by the time he was 13. Based in Chicagoland, he’s always down for a round and a hot dog at the halfway house so be sure to follow him on instagram @drewjkoch, so feel free to say hi.

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