17 Jul 2022 | Professional golf |
Round 4 at The Open: How the Aussies fared
by Dane Heverin
By Dane Heverin at St Andrews
Seven Australians were in action on a special Sunday at St Andrews as Cameron Smith won the 150th Open after his second eight-under par round of 64 for the week lifted him one shot clear of American Cameron Young at 20-under par.
Cameron Smith -20, 1st
The 150th Open champion and Champion Golfer of the Year produced one of the greatest rounds in the history of the game to capture the Claret Jug. Smith shot the lowest final round to win an Open at St Andrews, beat Tigers Woods scoring record for an Open at St Andrews and equalled the scoring record in an Open with an eight-under round of 64. His back nine 30 will be talked about forever as he made five straight birdies from the 10th to the 14th before securing his first major title with a clutch putt from the Valley of Sin to ensure a tap-in birdie at the 18th.
What he said: “This one’s for Oz! I'm definitely going to find out how many beers fit in this thing, that's for sure!"
Lucas Herbert -10, T15
Herbert finished strongly with a five-under par 67 that included six birdies to cap off another impressive showing on the big stage. The Victorian said he cannot wait to get back here after how special the week has been playing this historic major at the Home of Golf.
What he said: “Yeah, it was good to get another good result. Obviously it wasn't quite my week to get up there somewhere near having a win. I thought I was good enough to be able to do that.
“But played pretty solid golf. Played nice golf down the stretch. I was happy with the shots I was able to hit down the stretch. That was pretty satisfying. Yeah, overall quite happy with where that finish is, probably 15th.
Anthony Quayle, -10, T15
Quayle got better with every round he played throughout the week to lodge the best Open debut by an Australian since 2005. The Queenslander shot 67 on Sunday with six birdies to cap off a thoroughly impressive first major showing.
What he said: “That was cool. One of the coolest days of my life. That was really cool. Had so much fun. Look, I'm kind of speechless. I think I said here earlier in the week, I got off to a bad start on Thursday and probably ruled myself out of the tournament to win.
“But, look, I felt I could sort of dig in and play well the next few days and place a decent result and see where it ends up. But I'm pretty happy with how it all went.”
Adam Scott -10, T15
Scott was impressive once again with a round of 71 but it looked to be much more when he reached -13 after 11 holes. A double bogey at the 12th and a bogey at the dashed his hopes of pushing further up the leaderboard.
What he said about Smith: “He's tough, and he's owned his game, I think, quickly. He's learned how to play golf very well very quickly. I think his mind is a big asset, as his putter.”
Min Woo Lee -9, T21
Lee was another who saved his best for last and once again proved he thrives on a Sunday at the majors after adding a four-under 68 to his front nine 30 at The Masters earlier this year. Lee made six birdies and his only blemish came with a double bogey at the 13th when a phone went off during his downswing. He managed to stop his swing and miss the ball, but it rattled the West Australian and he shanked his tee shot 50m.
What he said: “I wish they were all majors. It's the only tournaments I'm playing good in at the moment. I'm going to learn off this, and I need to make sure I keep that mentality of that grind because, when I'm in that zone, it's pretty impressive.
“I'm pretty proud of the way I handled myself. Bad shots, I turn it around. This week was very good at bounce backs, and this year it's been quite a struggle to bounce back.”
Jason Scrivener -4, T53
Scrivener finished off the tournament with his best round of the week, a two-under par 70. He made three birdies in ideal morning conditions to complete his first weekend at an Open in nice fashion.
What he said: “I feel like my game's been improving over the last couple of months. I'll build on this. Just a memorable week really. I have my family here and my wife Simone as well and my little boy. It's been really cool to have them all here and experience it. One I'll never forget for sure.
Brad Kennedy -4, T53
Kennedy made it three straight even-par rounds with another 72, but bogeys at 16 and 17 and a makeable missed birdie putt in front of the packed grandstand on 18 left a sour taste in his mouth this time around. Nevertheless, his first weekend at a major proved to be a rewarding experience.
What he said: “I've got to find a bit more. I'm 48 now, so I haven't got much time left. Yeah, I just really wanted to see what I could do this week. It just doesn't get any better than St Andrews, 150th.
“My wife's here with me trying to enjoy the experience. Yeah, I just wanted to prove to people that, if you fight and you work hard and put yourself out there, give yourself some opportunities, practise the right way, that at any stage anything's possible, and I just felt like I let myself down on the weekend.”
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