Cameron Smith Survives Sawgrass 18th Near-Disaster To Win The Players

Cameron Smith sealed the biggest win of his career on Monday at TPC Sawgrass with a birdie-filled display to triumph at the Players Championship.

He could even manage a nervy bogey at the last after his chip-out from the trees ran into the lake guarding the left side of the finishing hole. He hit a sublime pitch from 57 yards to a few feet to salvage a winning bogey.

The Aussie started the round two behind leader Anirban Lahiri but four consecutive birdies to start his afternoon took him to the top of the leaderboard and he managed to survive a mid-round stumble, and near-disaster down the last, to secure golf's unofficial fifth Major.

Smith was five-under-par after six holes but then dropped three shots in a row before another four consecutive birdies. After 13 holes the Aussie had made nine birdies, three bogeys and just one par.

Known as one of the best putters in the world, Smith was dynamite on the greens and brought the brutally difficult Sawgrass to its knees throughout the round. He made his tenth birdie of the day at the 'island' green 17th where he went straight at the right Sunday pin and calmly holed from within 5ft for a 2.

Smith then managed a bogey at the last to post a 66 (-6) and get into the clubhouse at 13-under-par, one clear of World No.322 Anirban Lahiri.

England's Paul Casey ended in 3rd at 11-under-par, two back of Smith, with Kevin Kisner fourth and Keegan Bradley fifth.

"It's unreal. A long, hard week and so nice to come out on top. This is one of the big ones. It's nice to get it done," Smith said, before emotionally describing how his mother and sister were in the crowd.

"I mean, they came over last week, and golf really took a back step, I guess. I hadn't seen them for so long and all I wanted to do was hang out with them. It's so cool to get a win for them."

Smith wins $3.6m in what is the largest first prize in PGA Tour history.

The 28-year-old from Brisbane is now a five-time PGA Tour winner to go with his two Australian PGA Championship victories and he is now set to move close to, or even inside, the world's top five.

The Aussie has two victories already in 2022 after taking down World No.1 Jon Rahm at Kapalua with a record-breaking score of 34-under-par at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January.

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