Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith made his record-tying 10th birdie of the round on the 17th hole, helping power his 1-shot victory at the Players Championship on Monday.

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. Instead of a mid-iron into the par-5, he had to punch it out short. After a penalty drop, his 60-yard wedge spun next to the hole to 3 feet for a bogey. Keegan Bradley was among four players who had a chance over the last hour. He shot 68 and finished fifth. The wind didn't really do much for maybe three-quarters of the shot, and it held it up right there at the end. The bone-chilling temperatures Sunday made it tough on everyone. The ball ended up 4 feet away, and the Australian golfer made his record-tying 10th birdie of the round. They arrived a week before the Players Championship to see Smith in his adopted hometown of Ponte Vedra Beach. Only after the 28-year-old Australian capped a long week with the biggest win of his career did he lose control of his emotions. It's nice to see them and nice to get a win for them.'' When he punched out from under the trees and into the water on the closing hole, he never panicked.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – His father gave him the golf part. Cameron Smith would go out with dad, Des, on weekends at Wantima Golf Club, first beating the ...

“He thinks back to a time when he beat them,” Price said. “Then I started crying.” And Cameron? “He had a bit of a giggle. Cameron Smith would sleep well Monday night, in a bed of his own. “His self-belief is everything. Cameron gets a kick out of the stories about his grandfather, but his toughness is a product of more than that. I think that's kind of instilled in all of us.” He finally had to accept that it was just too far, and set about making a life for himself here, leaning on friends like Aron Price, himself an Aussie touring professional before turning to real estate. But he brought a lot of people, those who came before him, along for the ride en route to his fifth PGA TOUR win. Although Hilliar picked up golf recreationally, and Sharon expected her dad was almost certainly watching Smith from Brisbane on Monday, glued to the TV set, the sport that would make his grandson famous would have meant nothing to him then. “Mel started crying first,” Sharon said. He picked her.” They're working-class people who have had to work their whole life to live basically, and yeah, I guess that's just kind of what I grew up in."

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.