Cameron Smith

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Smith made the longest week at The Players Championship worth the wait. In a dynamic conclusion to five days of bad ...

Instead of a mid-iron into the par 5, he had to punch it out short. It was the only shot he dropped all day, and his best finish on the PGA Tour came with a $2.18 million consolation prize. He shot 68 and finished fifth. Keegan Bradley was among four players who had a chance over the last hour. It’s nice to see them and nice to get a win for them.” The bone-chilling temperatures Sunday made it tough on everyone. Kevin Kisner birdied three of his last four holes for a 68 to finish alone in fourth. After a penalty drop, his 60-yard wedge spun next to the hole to 3 feet for a bogey and a 6-under 66, giving him a one-shot victory over Anirban Lahiri of India. Casey drilled his drive down the middle. The ball ended up 4 feet away and the Australian made his record-tying 10th birdie of the round. He closed with a 69. Lahiri, who started the final round with a one-shot lead, birdied the 17th and needed one more to force a playoff.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Cameron Smith wasn't intimidated. Not on a course he knows so well, but purposefully avoids playing until he has to.

Dustin Johnson tied the course record with a final round 9-under 63, including holing out for eagle on the par-5 No. 9 hole to wrap up his round. He hit a 14-foot putt on the par-4, 14th and then sank an 8-footer to save par on the next hole. Smith went bogey-bogey-bogey to close his front, including a woeful three-putt on the par-5 ninth. Sam Burns had a 3-over front nine and fell from second back to the pack. Putting for par on both Nos. 14 and 15 and up by a shot on Keegan Bradley, Smith stared down both with the coolness of a major champion. “I try not to play it because it’s typically just set up a little bit softer and a little bit slower,” he said. But it’s set up so much harder when the pros take to it that Smith opts to play elsewhere when he’s home. The pandemic ended things after one round in 2020 and led to a tournament rife with safety precautions and limited attendance last year. Smith knows Sawgrass well, but he’s not a regular on the course because it plays so much differently in non-tournament time. He punched out through the trees, stuck his approach roughly 50 feet from the pin and then two-putted for par. Smith hit his drop to within 3 feet and he sank his bogey putt. And yeah, just bounced back really nice and proud of the way I hung in there.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Cameron Smith started the year by setting a PGA TOUR scoring record (and beating the top player in the world in the process).

He also appreciates the balance Smith exhibits in his swing. He needed just 24 putts in the final round and 101 for the week. Before this year, he’d never finished better than 119th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, losing strokes in that area of his game each season. He gained more than 4 strokes on the greens. He ranks sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green this season after never finishing in the top 50 of that metric in his six previous seasons. Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee called it “one of the greatest examples of great nerve from start to finish that I’ve seen.” His 24 birdies were the most in the field, but he also made 11 bogeys. His first 13 holes of the final round featured just a single par. He missed right of the green and it was all over. It started with a severe hook off the 16th tee that necessitated a punch out from the pine straw. Add those to a short game that’s long been considered among the best in the world and Smith is now firmly ensconced among the top echelon in the game. He’s the first PLAYERS champion to hit the fairway less than 50% of the time. Smith plays an entertaining style of golf, and one that also is proving to be incredibly successful.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — (AP) — The scoring was so low at Kapalua that it was easy to overlook the name in the record book. The play was so bold, ...

“My expectations are I wake up, go to the gym, practice as hard as I can for a couple hours, and then go and have a good time. Smith led by two shots and stared across the water to an island, the hole 135 yards away cut in the back right portion of the green. From the trees, he tried to punch out and caught it more cleanly off the pine needles than he expected, the ball scooting across the short grass and into the water. Out came the driver to get down the fairway as far as he could. It was like that at the start of the year. And then he couldn't hit it where he was aiming, leading to three straight bogeys. He started by rolling in a 40-foot birdie putt, the first of four in a row that helped take him from a two-shot deficit to a two-shot lead. There were 17 players separated by three shots at one point in the middle of the round. But there is more to the 28-year-old Australian that can't be measured by numbers. Smith hits short and crooked off the tee, which has never been a good combination in any era of golf. That much was evident Monday at The Players Championship when he one-putted eight of the last nine greens. Those two victories, different in so many ways, are a big reason Smith is No. 6 in the world.

Cameron Smith was in control of the rest of The Players Championship field in Monday's final round at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position and since I’ve played in this position in a quality field like this. His attempt to chip in for birdie stopped about 2 feet short of the cup and Smith was champion, hugging his mother and sister. “For somewhat of an easy chip shot, probably the easiest shot I had all day, to hit it in the water was quite frustrating. That was disappointing, because I couldn’t have put myself in a better position.’’ “I was obviously very frustrated at myself,’’ Smith said of the mistake on 18. “I haven’t seen them in two years,’’ Smith said with his voice cracking and his eyes tearing up.

Cameron Smith knows only one way to play the game and that led him to the biggest victory of his career.

To be where he is now, potentially just the beginning of his star career, where he wants to be, yeah, it’s not surprising to any of us that have followed him.” But instead of collapsing, he summoned the grit to hole a 10-footer to win, punctuating his victory with an iconic fist pump. “The next shot, that’s Cam Smith right there,” Pinfold said. My heart was in the throat there for a second, but I knew it was the right club.” Smith returned the 9-iron to Pinfold, with a knowing grin. Smith’s line was directly over the bunker, about 10 feet left of the flag ... and he pushed it, slightly, leading to a few anxious moments in the air. In sudden death at the FedExCup playoff opener, he splashed his tee shot in the Hudson River to hand the title to his opponent. He had 238 yards to the flag for his third shot. At the WGC in Memphis, he drilled a tree and went out of bounds while trying to play a hero shot on the 72nd hole. Knowing he needed to attack a “soft and sticky” course after a week of heavy rain, Smith’s 10 final-day birdies matched the most in a competitive round at TPC Sawgrass. He filled it up early, with four birdies to open. “Cam had to stand up and hit that shot, and all of a sudden, that fairway looks very small,” Kelly said. “And sure enough, he hits the exact shot he had to.

After four seasons in one event, The Players Championship concluded on Monday with Cameron Smith becoming the fifth Australian to pick up the coveted trophy ...

At that very same moment, Lahiri had birdied the 17th to move to within two shots of Smith. As the Australian faltered, others started to make their move. At that very same moment, Lahiri had birdied the 17th to move to within two shots of Smith. However, he inexplicably then bogeyed the next three holes to fall back. As the Australian faltered, others started to make their move. However, he inexplicably then bogeyed the next three holes to fall back.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH — If fortune favors the bold, then Cameron Smith deserves his Players Championship win after the tee shot he hit on the scariest hole at ...

Smith made the putt to record his 10th birdie of the day en route to a six-under 66. “That was way more aggressive than anticpated,” said Gary Koch. Take a look and a listen to the shot. Instead, Smith’s shot landed four feet to the right of the flag.

Cameron Smith made birdies in bunches to win the Players Championship and claim the largest share of the biggest purse in PGA Tour history.

Behind him, Lahiri rolled in a clutch birdie on 17 and now needed to birdie the 18th to force a playoff. After Smith parred 16 — after badly missing the fairway off the tee — he had two crucial swings left: his tee shots on 17 and 18. The wind didn’t really do much for maybe three quarters of the shot, and it held it up right there at the end. Smith made his mistakes off the tee (68th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee), but he made up for it with his putter. Smith was seven under and among a handful of contenders, but teeing off in the threesome ahead of Lahiri and the final group, Smith went on a tear. Then he made it four straight on the 13th to go up by two. He finished first in Strokes Gained: Putting, picking up 11.521 shots on the field. He had a kick-in birdie on 10 and an easy up-and-down from off the green to birdie the par-5 11th to retake the solo lead at 11 under. He missed fairways and greens on 14 and 15 but knocked in key par saves on both, first from 14 feet and then from eight. A wild week of rain delays and storms erased much of the action on Thursday and Friday, forcing pros to kill time and wait it out the best they could. Earlier this week, Smith said he used to find it hard to treat this week like a tournament. Smith’s now the owner of the largest single-event payday in PGA Tour history, cashing a $3.6 million check from a $20 million purse.

Smith won for fifth time on the Tour, but none have been as big (or lucrative) as this.

"It was nice having some company at home in the rain delays," Smith said. Smith was signing his scorecard at the time and never looked at the monitor to see the shot. "That was disappointing because I couldn't have put myself in a better position." Needing a birdie to force a playoff, Lahiri faced the biggest shot of his life. "I feel as though one of these big ones was the next step for me," he said. Smith saved the bogey and avoided the playoff. I was in a really good frame of mind. Just stuck to my processes and routines." He made a 38-footer for birdie to start the final round and finished with 13 one putts. He took the lead on the back nine Monday and held off several challenges. My main priority really was just to hang out with them and golf was second for these few weeks." "Amazing," Sharon said.

Northeast Florida resident Cameron Smith earned the biggest victory of his professional golf career, Monday's Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

But on his second shot to the green from 160 yards, he pushed his approach wide to the right, and his chip came two feet short of birdie. A lead pack of Smith, Lahiri, Keegan Bradley and Paul Casey formed along the back nine, and Smith pushed his edge to three strokes with a tee shot to within 4 feet for birdie on the Island Green. But he hit his approach to 3 feet and sank his bogey putt.

Cameron Smith took home the 2022 Players Championship title while lining up his golf ball in this usual manner.

Maybe that means moving the sidestamp line forward to free up your mind, or opting for a putter with a different alignment aid. But when Getty Images snapped a photo of Smith’s Pro V1x in the address position, the line was facing forward. In Smith’s case, what makes him great is his ability to “freewheel it” when things aren’t going his way.

With 2 hours to go in the tournament, there were 24 golfers between 6 under and 9 under on the leaderboard. Smith was the through line, though. He got off to a ...

It 100% was the correct place to drop, but I thought it would have been a little further up. He somehow putted it even better than Smith on the day -- perhaps more impressive than the 63 -- and he hit seven putts of 9 feet or longer (including a 23-footer and a 43-footer). It was nice to see D.J. have a good week after some mediocre play (for him) over the last few months. Only 2% of tournament winners have gained 11.5+ strokes on the greens. There have been almost 700 official events in the ShotLink era. 2. Anirban Lahiri (-12): Playing in the final group on Monday, Lahiri shot a 3-under 69 for the best finish of his life (and a nice consolation prize of $2.2 million). He birdied No. 17 when he needed it and then nearly did the same on No. 18 to send the tournament to a playoff. T9. Dustin Johnson (-7): D.J. quietly tied the course record with a 63 on Monday as he played on the opposite side of the course as the leaders. It was as impressive as runner-up finishes get, and he was easy to root for all week as he would have been by far the lowest-ranked golfer (at No. 322) to win this event in its history. Smith survived a Lahiri bid for birdie on No. 18 just behind him and grabbed the biggest win of his life (along with a tidy $3.6 million). And with the biggest event of the first quarter of the year behind us, it's a good time to remind everyone that there's one other place Smith has starred before. After a heroic par save on a smother hook drive on the 16th, Smith took a line at the pin on No. 17 that made the gallery gasp. He got off to a scorching start with birdies at each of his first four holes and five of his first six before coming back to the field with three bogeys to close a roller coaster 33 on the front nine. With 2 hours to go in the tournament, there were 24 golfers between 6 under and 9 under on the leaderboard.

Cameron Smith won the 2022 Players Championship, shooting a final round 66 to fend off Anirban Lahiri on a rare Monday finish. The Australian recorded 10...

With the win, Smith has five PGA Tour titles, two of which were in 2022. "It’s huge," Smith said after the round on his win. Cameron Smith won the 2022 Players Championship, shooting a final round 66 to fend off Anirban Lahiri on a rare Monday finish.

Why does Cameron Smith have a mullet at the 2022 The Players Championship? Here's why he's got the mullet haircut.

Cam Smith started wearing a mullet back in 2021, just in time for the year-delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Smith was one of the Australian players who represented his country in the men's golf competition. As a duo, Smith and Leishman’s walk-up song for the first tee each day was “The Mullet Song” by Jay Powell. So why does Cameron Smith wear a mullet for his haircut?

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Shortly before Tiger Woods took to the stage Wednesday night for his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame at PGA Tour ...

I feel as though I’ve put in the work and I feel as though I’ve done a lot of work on my body and I’ve put in the time. “I was just happy I was in a really good frame of mind. “I thought the (punch) shot was actually going to come out quite soft because it was in amongst some pine straw, and it actually come out really nice. But there was some stellar golf, too, as five players held at least a share of the lead, and the field averaged 71.5 strokes. “I want to win. If it did turn over, I was going to have a short shot in, and it just didn’t quite turn over. “I was probably aiming 10 feet left of that. From there, he made his 10th birdie of the day to go up 3. He had one par in his first 13 holes, then made pressure-packed putts to save par from 14 and 8 feet on the 14th and 15th holes. “It was nice having some company at home, I guess, in the rain delays. Had to make a lot of good par putts as well there at the end. Today I think I just kind of held in there.”

Whether he's chasing down redfish or red numbers, Ponte Vedra Beach resident Cameron Smith is loving life at The Players Championship.

After missing the cut in his first two appearances at the May editions of The Players, Smith has started to make the course his own. They'd better watch out for the mullet, and fast. But he punched out through congestion to the greenside bunker, chipped onto the green and saved par from 6 feet, which brought him into Monday morning clubhouse two strokes behind Anirban Lahiri of India. His approach was the second-closest of the round, behind only the Sunday afternoon hole-in-one by Shane Lowry. "The rain delay, being able to be in my own house, that really helped out," Smith said. Smith nearly conquered the Island Green on Monday morning, taking aim at the hole, landing on the surface and spinning it back to within a foot to set up a tap-in birdie.

Cameron Smith produced a birdie masterclass and overcame a final-hole scare to produce a thrilling one-shot victory at the Players Championship in Florida.

Smith seemingly had the title wrapped up when a close-range birdie at the par-three 17th took him three clear, only to send his approach from the trees into water at the par-five last. Smith fired his approach at the tenth to tap-in range and Casey almost chipped in from off the 11th green on his way to making it a three-way tie at the top, while Lahiri followed a birdie at the ninth by converting a 15-footer at the 11th to join the growing group on 11 under. Smith holed from 40 feet at the first to start a run of four consecutive birdies and was two clear after a 10-foot birdie at the sixth, only to miss from six feet at the seventh, drop a shot at the eighth and three-putt from distance at the ninth to card three straight bogeys and reach the turn on nine under.

The Aussie survived a near-disaster on the 18th to get the job done in an enthralling final round at TPC Sawgrass.

He made his tenth birdie of the day at the 'island' green 17th where he went straight at the right Sunday pin and calmly holed from within 5ft for a 2. I hadn't seen them for so long and all I wanted to do was hang out with them. He could even manage a nervy bogey at the last after his chip-out from the trees ran into the lake guarding the left side of the finishing hole. It's so cool to get a win for them." It's nice to get it done," Smith said, before emotionally describing how his mother and sister were in the crowd. A long, hard week and so nice to come out on top.

A red-hot putter that he put in play a little more than a year ago helped Cameron Smith win the 2022 Players.

“I actually put it in the bag this tournament last year,” Smith said at this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii. “It's got a little slant neck on it. A 14-foot par save on 14 and another eight-footer save on 15—only his second and third pars of the round—kept the momentum and margin intact. Cameron Smith is off to quite the start in 2022.

Cameron Smith earned the biggest victory of his career, outlasting Anirban Lahiri to capture the 2022 Players Championship on Monday at TPC Sawgrass...

Lahiri also lost valuable ground with a double bogey on the eighth hole, canceling out his birdie on No. 4. Walk-off eagle‼️@DJohnsonPGA ties @THEPLAYERSChamp record for the low 18-hole score. That didn't last long as Smith birdied the 12th hole to move to 12 under and claim first place for himself. The risky approach he used to great success with his tee shot on 17 proved calamitous on 18. A third-round 76 ended any hope Johnson had of winning the tournament. All eyes were on Smith as he lined up his tee shot on the 17th hole. Doug Ghim had a double bogey on No. 2 to put himself behind the eight ball. An eagle on the 11th hole then gave him a share of the lead. The drama intensified as Bradley birdied No. 16 to halve the gap on Smith at the top of the leaderboard. The shot landed safely on the island green but left him with an all but impossible birdie putt. No holding back 💪

8th birdie of the day for @Keegan_Bradley. He's within 1. Smith deposited his second shot into a greenside bunker but managed to save par and stay at 13 under.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The scoring was so low at Kapalua that it was easy to...

“My expectations are I wake up, go to the gym, practice as hard as I can for a couple hours, and then go and have a good time. Smith led by two shots and stared across the water to an island, the hole 135 yards away cut in the back right portion of the green. From the trees, he tried to punch out and caught it more cleanly off the pine needles than he expected, the ball scooting across the short grass and into the water. Out came the driver to get down the fairway as far as he could. It was like that at the start of the year. And then he couldn't hit it where he was aiming, leading to three straight bogeys. He started by rolling in a 40-foot birdie putt, the first of four in a row that helped take him from a two-shot deficit to a two-shot lead. There were 17 players separated by three shots at one point in the middle of the round. But there is more to the 28-year-old Australian that can't be measured by numbers. Smith hits short and crooked off the tee, which has never been a good combination in any era of golf. That much was evident Monday at The Players Championship when he one-putted eight of the last nine greens. Those two victories, different in so many ways, are a big reason Smith is No. 6 in the world.