Hometown hero Cameron Smith chugs down CHAMPAGNE on the course just moments after winning third straight Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane: ‘It’s awesome mate’
Cameron Smith celebrated in style after winning his third Australian PGA Championship, chugging down some champagne shortly after triumphing in Brisbane.
The 29-year-old clinched his third straight Australian PGA Championship by three shots after lightning strikes stopped play at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
And shortly after putting the final hole, Smith took a swig of champagne from a bottle he was handed before he even had time to conduct his first interview.
Cameron Smith celebrated in style after winning the Australian PGA Championship
The world No.3 carded a three-under 68 to finish 14-under par, Jason Scrivener (11 under) coming from seven shots behind late on Saturday to share the lead and threaten a major boilover on Sunday.
But Scrivener stumbled in pursuit of his first title in five years, Open Championship winner Smith obliging to claim a fifth title for 2022 in his first appearance on home soil in three years.
Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (11 under) was equal second while England’s John Parry and West Australian favourite Min Woo Lee shared fourth at nine under.
‘It’s awesome, mate,’ Smith said while speaking to Todd Woodbridge Nine shortly after his win.
‘I really didn’t think I had it in me to be honest. The start of the week was a little bit scratchy, but the game got better and better as the week went on, other than the front nine today.’
Play was suspended twice on Sunday for a total of two hours when electrical storms swept through Brisbane, sending players and about 10,000 fans scrambling for cover.
The world No3 finished 14-under par, three strokes clear of Jason Scrivener
And Smith conceded the pauses in play had been frustrating.
‘You kind of have to get the mojo and for it to be stopped not once but twice is a little bit frustrating,’ he said.
‘But I held on to it [the lead] and played solid on these last eight holes.’
But the storm cleared in time to finish in fading light, avoiding a return on Monday to crown the champion.
The 29-year-old has now won three Australian PGA Championship in a row
The Australian carded a three-under 68 on Sunday, recovering from a difficult front nine
Resuming for the second time, Smith immediately bogeyed the 11th to fall back level with Scrivener and Hisatsune.
But he dug deep into his bag of tricks, flopping a wedge from scratchy rough, over a tree and onto the 12th green to make birdie.
He then nailed a six-metre birdie putt on the 13th and sealed the result with another on the 16th to add to his 2017 and 2018 titles, both won at the Gold Coast’s Royal Pines.
Play was suspended twice on Sunday when electrical storms swept through Brisbane
The break lasted a combined two hours, but the storm cleared in time to finish in fading light
Scrivener, playing ahead of Smith, birdied to stay within one shot but then watched his putt on the 17th roll off the green and into the back corner of a raked bunker.
He took a double bogey – his putt rolled around the rim before finally dropping – a birdie on the last pulling him level with the in-form Japanese talent.
Smith (68, 65, 69, 68) was the only man to shoot more than two rounds under 70 for the tournament and is the youngest three-time winner of the Kirkwood Cup.
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