Cameron Smith’s win at St. Andrews made him the Champion Golfer of the Year. It might not have happened, though, if he hadn’t pulled off one of the greatest pars of all time.
By now, you’ve certainly seen it. Many times. After missing the 17th green with his approach, the Aussie found himself in a precarious position with the infamous Road Hole bunker between his golf ball and the flag.
But Smith navigated the next two shots to perfection with his trusty putter, first rolling one around the cavernous trap onto the green and then calmly draining his par attempt by 10 feet. Have a look. Again. Well, unless you’re Rory McIlroy. Then you might want to turn away.
It’s worth having lots of looks because it would have been a remarkable two-putt under any circumstances. But with the claret jug on the line? And in the midst of a stunning Sunday back-nine 30? It’s the stuff of legend.
What a save. For a split second, it looks like it doesn’t have enough juice and is going to get sucked in, but this putting god knew exactly what he was doing.
And thanks to a video captured by someone behind the green, golf fans can get a different look at it. One that somehow might even make the improbable par even more impressive.
Wow. Cam couldn’t have judged that anymore perfectly. As they say Down Under, good on ya, mate. Oh, and good on this fan for sharing another angle of golf history.