Backside binge lifts Smith to British Open throne

MANILA, Philippines – Five months after winning the Players Championship on a streak of birdies, Cameron Smith flashed his flair for birdie-binges again Sunday (Monday, Manila time) to nail his first major championship at the home of golf.

That he snatched the crown by one over halfway co-joint leader Cameron Young of the US behind a stirring backside charge en route to a closing solid 64, spoke well of the caliber of a player who kept on drilling birdies after birdies from varied ranges — five in row from No. 10 — to overhaul what had seemed to be a huge four-stroke deficit off third joint leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland in Scotland. 

“To win an Open championship in itself is probably going to be a golfer’s highlight in their career. To do it around St. Andrews, I think, is just unbelievable,” said the 28-year-old ace from Brisbane in hot Queensland.

Mind-boggling was his birdie splurge to spike his backside run. While McIlroy and Hovland — and, perhaps, majority of the rest of the contenders, struggled to even set up decent birdie opportunities on St. Andrews’ Old Course’s sloping surface, Smith hacked out superb short iron and wedge shots. He even fired from the roughs, to within birdie ranges, and rolled in putts that kept on dropping, the last on the drivable No. 18 that stymied Young’s equally fiery rally — actually a closing eagle.

Smith, who also rattled off a pair of four-birdie runs to snatch the Players Championship crown — also by one over India’s Anirban Lahiri — at Sawgrass last March, pooled a 268 total worth $2.5 million, edging Young, who assembled a 269 on a 65 while McIlroy settled for third with a 270 after a 70.

Hovland, who posted back-to-back 66s to force a tie with McIlroy after 54 holes, hit just one birdie on shaky driving and shakier approach shots and putting, limping with a 74 and slipping to joint fourth at 274 with Tommy Fleetwood, who battled back with a 67.

Earlier, Filipino-American Justin delos Santos floundered with a 74 in a disheartening finish to what had been an inspiring major debut. He missed completing a remarkable major campaign with a disastrous triple bogey on the par-5 14th and though he hit two birdies, he fumbled with a frontside bogey to end up with a 74 after a 71-73-70.

From joint 55th, the 26-year-old delos Santos tumbled to a share of 74th but still pocketed $31,638 (P1.8 million).

Meanwhile, Yuto Katsuragawa rallied with a 69 while Kim Joo Hyung carded a 71 as they tied for 47th at 283. Each received $40,100.