Cameron Smith warmed up for The Masters with his best performance this year, going down in a three-way play-off in the LIV Golf event in Hong Kong on Sunday (AEDT).
Smith (-13), who started the day six shots behind runaway leader Abraham Ancer, was left to rue a miscue with his approach into the 18th green, the first hole in the play-off, with former Australian Open champion Ancer prevailing over Smith and Englishman Paul Casey.
Cameron Smith was edged out in a three-man play-off in Hong Kong.Credit: LIV Golf
Smith was left with a horrible lie in the greenside bunker and could only shovel it out and make bogey.
Ancer (72) struggled to find his groove all day having walked to the first tee with a five-shot lead, but saved his best for last with a laser into the 18th green on the first play-off hole to set up a four-foot birdie putt for the title. He duly made it as Smith (66) and Casey (64) both made bogey.
“I made that so hard on myself,” Ancer said. “The ball striking wasn’t there, but mentally I was really strong.
“I felt like I was not going to give up. That round could have gone south really quickly and I hit some good bunker shots, some good putts that I needed to just kept myself in it. I hit the right shot at the right time there in the play-off.”
2018 Australian Open winner Abraham Ancer prevailed in a three-man play-off which also featured Englishman Paul Casey.Credit: Getty
Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, had earlier hit a miraculous wedge shot to four feet to save par on the 18th in his last hole of regulation, having scrambled after his iron from the tee ended up in a fairway bunker.
He had endured a lacklustre start to the new LIV Golf season, but fought his way into contention on the final day of the Hong Kong leg with a four-under 66.
Source Agencies
