Cameron Smith has made the longest week of The Players Championship worth the wait. In a dynamic conclusion to five days of bad weather and suspense at TPC Sawgrass, Smith holed eight of his last nine putts and delivered one of the riskiest shots of his career to go down in Players Championship history.
Cameron Smith wins THE PLAYERS Championship

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Leading by two strokes on the par 3 from 17 123 yards from the hole on an island green, Cameron Smith made the difference by landing his ball within 3,6 yards of the flagstick from the water. The ball arrived one meter from the hole and the Australian golfer scored his 10th birdie of the round, a record.

Turns out he needed it. Smith hit from the rough on the right of the 18th fairway to the water. After a penalty drop, his 54-yard wedge shot missed the hole at 1 yard for a bogey and a 66 (-6) card, giving him a one-stroke win over India's Anirban Lahiri.

Lahiri, who started the final round with a one-stroke lead, birdied the 17th and needed one more to force a playoff. He failed to reach the green He finished with a score of 69.

Paul Casey, victim of a horrible break on the 16th hole when he was in position to close in on the lead, played 69.

Cameron Smith, who finished on a total of 275 (-13), won for the second time this year and for the fifth time in his career on the PGA Tour. He took home $3,6 million from a $20 million prize pool, the richest in golf.

It was more than money, more than the three-year exemption he earned for all four majors and a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

It was just as much about family. Smith, so unfazed by the tense pressure that reigned over Monday's 26 holes, was emotional when he spoke of his mother and sister, whom he had not seen for more than two years due to travel restrictions in Australia during the pandemic.

Cameron Smith has taken up residence at Ponte Vedra Beach, around 8km away, and he flew to the airport last week for a special meeting.

They watched him win the biggest prize in golf after the majors.

"It's really cool to have them here", Smith said. “My main priority was spending time with them. Golf came second. It's nice to see them and nice to get a win for them. »

Lahiri's only big mistake was a tee shot into a palm bush on the par-3 of the eight, which forced him to drop near the concessions area and lead to a double bogey. It was the only shot he missed all day, and his best result on the PGA Tour was a consolation prize of $2,18 million.

“I have been here for seven years; I haven't crossed the line yet. » Lahiri said. “Today was an occasion like any other. I gave myself completely. I made a few mistakes today that I could have avoided, but that's golf. »

Casey, meanwhile, was a victim of bad luck. He was two strokes behind and in the same group as Smith when he appeared to have a big advantage on the par-5 of the 16. Smith tee shot into the pines. Casey sent his driver shot down the middle. But the ball rolled one last time down the rain-soaked fairway, right into another player's pitch.

Instead of a medium iron on the par 5, he had to hit a short shot. Then he came close to getting help from a watering header near the green and had to fight for par. Cameron Smith hit to the fairway and made par.

They headed to the 17, where Smith's 9-iron was bolder than he wanted. He was more daring than he wanted with a birdie, won and climbed to 6th place in the world.

So ended a week like no other at TPC Sawgrass, where so much rain earlier in the week meant that the first lap lasted 54 hours and 16 minutes, ending on Saturday morning. The wind that followed wreaked havoc on half the course. Freezing temperatures on Sunday made it difficult for everyone. It was the first time the tournament had ended on a Monday since 2005 at The Players.

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