Jacksonville resident Cameron Smith finished in front, but it was Players debutant Cameron Percy who had the Aussie highlight to remember in the final round at TPC Sawgrass in Florida today.

American Justin Thomas added to his resume with a one-stroke victory over England's Lee Westwood with Queenslander Smith’s regular visits to TPC Sawgrass leading to a tie for 17th on the back of a superb third round of 7-under 65.

But as Smith dropped six spots with a final round of 72, it was Victorian Percy who made the biggest move thanks in no small part to the best shot of any player at the famed island green at the par-3 17th.

Making his first appearance at the Players at age 46, Percy made birdie from inside six feet and 55 feet in the first two rounds respectively and then fired one in tight to the far-right pin in the final round, leaving himself just three feet, 10 inches for his third birdie of the week at one of golf’s most intimidating tee shots.

It was Percy’s seventh birdie of the day in a round of 4-under 68 that was bettered by only nine players in the final round, rising 26 places on the leaderboard to finish tied for 29th, three shots behind Smith.

Incredibly, it meant that Aussies had the honour of finishing closest to the hole at 17 each of the four days of the tournament after Adam Scott claimed nearest-the-pin in each of the first three rounds with shots to 19 inches, 20 inches and two feet, six inches.

Unfortunately for Scott his attempt on Sunday came up short in the water as his closing 1-under 71 resulted in a tie for 48th.

After a short hiatus, the European Tour returned in Qatar where Queensland’s Maverick Antcliff began his season in positive fashion with a tie for 19th at the Qatar Masters at Education City Golf Club in Doha.

Starting the final round in a tie for 24th, Antcliff was 2-over through 15 holes and losing ground to the field, but bounced back from a double-bogey at 17 on Saturday to make birdie on Sunday and then closed out his week with a birdie at the final hole for an even-par 72.

Wade Ormsby and Scott Hend were the only other Aussies in the field in Qatar, but both missed the cut. PGA TOUR The Players Championship TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Won by Justin Thomas (USA) at -14 by one stroke

T17 Cameron Smith, 71-73-65-72—281 T29 Cameron Percy, 73-70-73-68—284 T35 Jason Day, 70-71-71-73—285 T48 Adam Scott, 72-71-73-71—287 T55 Matt Jones, 73-71-70-74—288 MC Marc Leishman, 71-74—145 MC Cameron Davis, 76-74—150 EUROPEAN TOUR Qatar Masters Education City GC, Doha, Qatar Won by Antoine Rozner (FRA) at -8 by one stroke

T19 Maverick Antcliff, 69-72-72-71—284 MC Wade Ormsby, 69-76—145 MC Scott Hend, 74-72—146