21 May 2022 | Professional golf |

Smith's wayward day at US PGA

by Dane Heverin

Cam Smith.

A wayward tee shot that accidentally hit American Aaron Wise on the head was the talking point of Cameron Smith’s even-par second round of the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

Smith, who is two-under and seven shots behind leader Will Zalatoris, sliced his drive on the second hole to the right of the fairway and it sailed onto the adjacent seventh where Wise was unfortunately struck without the ball bouncing.

Thankfully Wise was able to complete his round after he experienced some ringing in his head for about 20 seconds before feeling back to normal again. Smith and his group loudly called “Fore” but the blustery conditions made it difficult to hear, Wise’s playing partner Joel Dahmen said.

It was a day where things just did not go right for the world number four.

The Queenslander bookended his front nine with near-mirror image birdies from close range to reach four-under and at that stage it appeared as if he would go close to playing partner Zalatoris. 

Things began to unravel after the turn however, when Smith’s approach shot at the 10th hit the left edge of the green before it trickled down the slope into the rough and he was unable to get up-and-down for par.

Another bogey was put on the card when he took two shots out of the greenside bunker at the 15th, but arguably the most frustration came with two missed birdie putts from inside eight feet to close out the round - especially after a majestic second shot from the edge of the creek on the 18th.

Despite those setbacks the 28-year-old remains in the mix, sitting in a tie for tenth, with a platform to make a weekend charge like he did in his wins this year at the Players Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Kiwi Ryan Fox is the next best performing Australasian at even-par, while Lucas Herbert (+1), Jason Day (+3), Marc Leishman (+3) and Cam Davis (+4) have all progressed to the weekend.

Min Woo Lee (+5), Adam Scott (+7) and Matt Jones (+10) all missed the cut.

Leaderboard

Join our newsletter

Get weekly updates on news, golf tips and access to partner promotions.

Related News

Jazy Roberts Webex Sydney
Amateur golf

Roberts runner-up in major US event

Jazy Roberts has added to her international credentials with a runner-up finish in one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the US.

Nadene Gole Scottish Senior Women's Open
Amateur golf

Gole adds Scottish Senior Open to global wins

Superstar Australian senior Nadene Gole has continued her dominance of Britain’s most prestigious tournaments at the Scottish Senior Women’s Open.

Gordon the Golf Cart
Participation

The Adventures of Gordon the Golf Cart: Little birdies and big stories for kids

Picture this: Thomas the Tank Engine meets Toy Story set at an Australian golf club.

Golf Australia NEW LOGO White Mono_logo
Join our newsletter

Get weekly updates on news, golf tips and access to partner promotions!