British Open champion Cameron Smith wins 3rd Australian PGA
Sun, Nov 27, 2022
Other News (AP)
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - British Open champion Cameron Smith has won his third Australian PGA Championship by three shots after a day of wild weather stopped play twice at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
The world No.3 Smith shot a three-under 68 to finish 14-under par, three strokes clear of equal second-placed Japan's Ryo Hisatune (65) and Jason Scrivener (67), who had stormed up the leaderboard Sunday to briefly share the lead and threaten Smith's tilt for his fifth title this year.
England's John Parry (65) and local favourite Min Woo Lee (69) shared fourth at nine under.
Play was suspended twice on Sunday for a total of two hours when electrical and heavy rain storms swept through Brisbane, in Queensland state, sending players and about 10,000 fans searching for cover.
When play resumed for the second time Smith, playing in Australia for the first time in three years, made bogey on the 11th to fall back level with Scrivener and Hisatsune, but responded with a birdie at the 12th to regain the outight lead.
Further birdies at the 13th and 16th sealed Smith's third Australian PGA after claiming the 2017 and 2018 titles at Royal Pines on Queensland state's Gold Coast.
Scrivener's charge stumbled with a double bogey on the 17th after his long birdie putt rolled off the green and into the back corner of a bunker. A birdie on the 18th lifted him into a tie for second place with Hisatune, who earlier n the round had holed-out from the fairway for eagle at the par-4 second.
Marc Leishman shot 67 and finished at 6-under in a tie for 12th place and Adam Scott had a 68 and was at -4 and 10 behind Smith.
Smith, along with Scott and Leishman are among those who will play two weeks in a row in Australia. Next week they are scheduled to play in the historic Australian Open when the men's and women's championships will be decided at the same time.
The men and women will play in alternate groups at two courses - Victoria and Kingston Heath - over the first two days, with Victoria Golf Club set to host the final two rounds.
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