At the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane, local athlete Elvis Smylie defeated the former British Open champion Cameron Smith to win the Australian PGA Championship.
The 22-year-old Queenslander finished the tournament at 14-under, making a four-under-par 67. Moreover, Australian Smith finished two shots behind on 12-uner with a final score of 69, while fellow countrymen Marc Leishman (69) and Anthony Quayle (63) were one shot behind him.
After his win, the athlete said: “It’s a dream come true… I won’t forget this day playing with Cam and (Marc Leishman).”
He added: “They’re guys I’ve looked up to since I was a kid and to be in their presence and to have the chance to compete against them for a title, I’ve learned so much. I’m so grateful and so honored right now.”
Smylie’s athletic performance
Smylie got off to a great start, making consecutive birdies to climb to 12-under. However, he really took control at the sixth hole, where he made his lead over Smith to two shots after the three-time champion bogeyed the same hole.
The Australian only picked up one shot after four birdies and three bogeys, falling three shots behind, while Smylie had gained four shots by the time they reached the turn. Smylie remained firm despite becoming unstable off the tee, making a 30-foot putt to save par at the 12th.
Smith had chipped in at the 17th to decrease Smylie’s advantage to two strokes and intensify the pressure heading down the last moments of the game. Several feet after Smylie made his attempt, Smith was unable to hole his shot from the sand.
Smylie stated: “My short game was great, I definitely saved myself in that department… I was pretty average off the tee but golf is a game of imperfection and today was a sign of that.”
Source: CNA