How Cameron Smith Won The 150th Open

By: Derek Clements | Mon 17 Jul 2023

It will be of no consolation to Rory McIlroy that Cameron Smith produced a stunning final round to claim the 150th Open. McIlroy found himself standing short of the Valley of Sin, wedge in hand, needing to hole out for a two to join Smith in a playoff.

But the Northern Irishman couldn’t produce the miracle shot. In fact, he did not even finish second. An eagle at the 18th from Cameron Young, who enjoyed an outstanding Open debut, saw him pip McIlroy to second place. Smith’s 20 under par beat Young by one and McIlroy by two.

McIlroy did little wrong during round four, but his putter was stone cold. He failed to birdie the 9th and 14th. It all added up to a 70, two under par, on a day when he needed something much better. Smith’s back nine of 30 was the lowest score on a Sunday inward half by any champion in Open history.

With McIlroy and Viktor Hovland in the final group, it was the Norwegian who blinked first. Hovland three putted the 4th, which edged McIlroy into a one-shot lead. McIlroy comfortably birdied the par-five 5th to double his advantage.

Hovland was playing tentatively. Pressure on McIlroy suddenly arrived from elsewhere. Smith birdied the 10th and 11th to move within one. Almost immediately McIlroy left a 126ft putt on the 10th within kick-in range. The two-stroke margin for error was restored, with McIlroy now 18 under. Smith jabbed back by picking up another shot at the 12th. Smith, now five under for his round, was posing a serious threat.

That challenge from Smith intensified with a fourth birdie in a row, this time from 15ft. The lead was now shared. Smith was inspired, McIlroy aware of what was happening in the group ahead. Smith’s 19 under played McIlroy’s 18 under as the former birdied the 14th.

Smith, it seemed incredible to recall, had started the day four shots adrift of McIlroy and Hovland. A 74 from Hovland meant he tied fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, who signed off with a 67.

Young, meanwhile, cut a figure of frustration despite signing for a 65. “It probably hurts a little worse to come up one shot short,” he said. “If you lose by eight, you don’t really care.” The 25-year-old’s curious major year saw two missed cuts, a tied third and a second.

Smith chopped his drive right from the 15th but was able to rescue par from a favourable lie in the rough. McIlroy needed to make short work of the par-five 14th but could not after failing to reach the green in two. Smith recorded a straightforward, two-putt par at the 16th and refused to wobble at the iconic Road Hole despite missing the green with his approach. McIlroy’s last realistic hope came at that penultimate hole following a majestic iron to 18ft. As the birdie putt dribbled past, Smith had one hand and four fingers on the Claret Jug.

Brian Harman and Dustin Johnson tied sixth at minus 13. Bryson DeChambeau joined Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth one shot further back. Adam Scott’s 71 left him 10 adrift of Smith but there were words of praise for Smith. “He’s tough and he has owned his game quickly,” Scott said of his fellow Australian. “He has learned how to play golf very well, very quickly. I think his mind is a big asset, as is his putter. “I don’t know if you can say it was inevitable he would have an opportunity such as this but on the basis of talent? Yes.”