Agony for Rory McIlroy as he's beaten
to the 150th Open title by Cameron Smith...
with the Aussie sinking five birdies in
a row for a stunning 64 as Northern Irishman
finishes two shots back in third
Daily Mail (UK),
by
PA Sports Reporters
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
7/17/2022 3:16:10 PM
Acts of gate-crashing rarely come in a form as outrageous or as painful as this. For Stewart Cink and the Turnberry torment of 2009, read Australian Cam Smith and the St Andrews steal at the 150th Open.
Thirteen years on from Tom Watson being denied at the age of 59, it was the turn of poor Rory McIlroy to discover that a perfect-looking script doesn’t always translate into a perfect ending.
Four majors this season have brought four instances of being in contention - a distinct improvement on previous campaigns - but the brutal reality is the eight year wait for a win goes on.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 7/17/2022 3:22:02 PM (No. 1219169)
I was pulling for Rory, and I thought he acquitted himself well in his post-match interviews.
But I will await Hazymac and lakerman1’s analysis. :)
8 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 7/17/2022 3:38:02 PM (No. 1219180)
Hard to beat another good player when they catch fire like that. Rory had the misfortune to "run into the buzz saw" today.
7 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Peaches 7/17/2022 3:46:36 PM (No. 1219191)
Rory's putter was ice cold, and Cam Smith's was blazing.
I was happy for Cameron Young for finishing second.
Today just wasn't Rory's day.
9 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
formerNYer 7/17/2022 3:52:14 PM (No. 1219197)
Tee to green Rory was as good if not better than anyone in the field, 36 putts is horrendous though. Ice cold is right #3. Cam Smith played very well for a man who's never been in this position (chance of winning a major) before. Other than Dustin Johnson the LIV players were nowhere to be found.
Great tournament at the home of golf.
9 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Newtsche 7/17/2022 4:08:45 PM (No. 1219211)
Johnny Miller has suggested the great putters will the ball into the hole. I can't argue.
Rory played great this week, his putting looks better than ever, fluid and committed. A lot of great rolls, mechanically sound, next to nothing dropped. Doing everything right doesn't matter when you don't believe.
All props to Cam Smith, a worthy champion, he believed today.
7 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Hazymac 7/17/2022 4:28:39 PM (No. 1219225)
The Double Cams went lower than anyone else, and well earned their top two spots in the Open at the Old Course. The Champion Golfer of the Year, Cameron Smith from Down Under, shot a 6-under-par 30 on the inward nine today, leading to his second 64 of the tournament. That's how a winner finishes. He looked a bit shaky yesterday, especially on the putting surfaces (which was surprising), shooting 71 and letting Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland get ahead, but major championships bring the most stress (and potentially the greatest reward: a place in the history books).
The other Cameron, Cam Young, is new on the scene, but he looks as impressive as Jon Rahm looked a few years ago. When I first saw Rahm, I told a pro buddy of mine, "This guy is going to #1 in the world. It's just a matter of time." At the moment, #1 is Scottie Scheffler, who deserves his #1. Scottie didn't play well today, but he was right up there where he belonged leading into today. I think Cam Young has #1 in the world potential. His future looks glorious.
So does Cam Smith's. He drives it well and long, hits good irons, and he's oh so pure with the flat stick. That can be hard to beat. He joins Jack Nicklaus as the only player to win the Player's and the Open at St. Andrews in the same year.
Crowd favorite McIlroy did not make a bogey during the final round and hit all 18 greens in regulation (34 field shots, probably better than anyone else in the field). In that respect he was close to perfect. Although he had 36 putts and made basically nothing, I didn't see any bad strokes from him. The doggoned ball just wasn't going in. As a professional golfer myself, I know how that feels! Rory acquitted himself well, and was as gracious as Mr. Nicklaus taught us all to be when a tournament didn't go our way. At 32 years old, he will have plenty more opportunities.
Lee Trevino, one of my heroes, said, "The older I get, the better I used to be." That's why we all love Lee. He speaks the truth. As much as winning feels great in retrospect, the ones that got away affect us more. This victory makes Cam Smith's career. But the triumph he feels won't be as intense as Rory's disappointment. Golf is only a game. Golf is only a game. Golf is only a game. I keep telling myself that, but it's more than that. It was a great tournament and a great week.
14 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 7/17/2022 4:54:22 PM (No. 1219244)
#6, no matter the topic, you NEVER disappoint.
6 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Jethro bo 7/17/2022 7:44:00 PM (No. 1219332)
As a walking scorer for the Zurich Classic, I have worked with Cameron Smith during two pro ams. He is a very nice guy, A bit quiet but always a gentlemen. He would gladly answer questions and aways had a smile. He even shared tournament strategy with me. I am pleased he won. I was pulling for Rory. As pointed out, Rory actually played well. He literally didn't make a mistake today. How rare is that! However, Cam Young and Cam Smith both made huge mistakes yesterday and Young made a lazy man's bogy on the first hole. That said, they simple outplayed Rory today. I admire the play of all three of the top finishers. All played very well. Just today, the two Cams played a bit better or maybe got those unpredictable breaks more today than Rory. Regardless, it was a very exciting Championship. It wasn't that someone choked, it was that 2 players rose their game a bit higher today than Rory. And I will be pulling for Rory next Open as well.
8 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
ussjimmycarter 7/17/2022 7:45:54 PM (No. 1219334)
The Aussie flat outplayed everyone! 64 on Sunday on this course! Wow!
5 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
rytwng 7/17/2022 10:42:13 PM (No. 1219437)
It always comes down to putting. The hot putter wins.
1 person likes this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Mauigirl 7/17/2022 10:53:20 PM (No. 1219443)
It's tough to win when you're playing against the best putter in professional golf.
That would be Cam Smith. of course.
Have to admit I was rooting against all of the LIV whores:
DJ, Bryson, Oosthuizen, Gooch, Kokrak, Reed, et al.
Koepka and Mickelson didn't even make the cut...yay!
4 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
lakerman1 7/18/2022 8:17:09 AM (No. 1219683)
I composed a needlessly long post about golf, even including a description of my clubs (Hogans advertised as 'for the better golfer', D 3 swing weight, stiff shaft, PGA 100 high compression balls) to support my analysis of Rory's perfected fade while playing in majors.
There is an axiom in golf, concerning putting. Never up, never in.
Rory displayed that yesterday. And it may only get worse for him, because the sort of putting he displayed yesterday really is a psychological problem, not a mechanical one.
And he may never recover from it.
I have been a fan of golf ever since I saw Ben Hogan, on my 12 inch black and white tv, when only the final four holes were televised. And I have rooted against just two players - Greg Norman and his insufferable ego, and Really Fragile Rory McIlroy, ever since he withdrew in the middle of a round at the Honda Classic in 2013 because he had a toothache.
Rory's decision does not stack up well when considering that Tiger Woods, in the 2008 U.S. Open, played the final round on a broken leg, and won.
Perhaps a year or two on the Korn Ferry tour would help Rory to man up.
1 person likes this.
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