Neergaard-Petersen claims first major title at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen won the Australian Open for his first major professional title Sunday when his scrambled par on the final hole crushed the hopes of hometown favorite Cam Smith who was chasing his first win in more than two years.

Smith and Neergaard-Peterson came to the 72nd hole tied at 15-under after a thrilling contest over the last nine holes. Neergaard Petersen shanked his drive into difficult rough on the right with a bunker between his ball and the green.

Smith found the green with his second but with a long, sloping putt to the hole. Matter of fact as he has been throughout the week, Neergaard got up and down for par while Smith missed his difficult putt for birdie, then a 1.5 meter return putt to force a playoff.

The 26-year-old Danish player won by a single shot at 15-under 269 after rounds of 67, 66, 66 and 70. Smith started the last round two shots behind the leader, drew level by the turn and led outright after sinking a three meter put for birdie on the 10th hole.

After a birdie at the 11th, Smith bogeyed the 12th and was level with Neergaard-Petersen at 13 under. The pair stayed locked together until the final hole when Smith’s missed par putt handled his opponent a career-changing victory.

“It’s hard. I’m really at a loss for words. It’s been a battle all day,” Neergaard said. “Even from the outside, you can look calm but it was a storm inside (for me) all day.

“But I managed to keep battling and to get it up and down to make that putt on the last. I don’t know what to say, to be honest.”.

Smith, the 2022 British Open champion who ended his streak of missing seven consecutive cuts this year on Friday, shot 66 Saturday and was tied for second, two strokes off the lead.

After all his missed cuts, Smith, said that it was “nice being in contention” entering the final round.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had this feeling to be honest,” he said. “I love that it’s the Australian Open. I couldn’t think of a better place to get back into form. It would shut a few people up.”

Smith has won the Australian PGA twice but has yet to win the Stonehaven Cup as the champion of his national open.

His last tournament victory came at the LIV tournament in Bedminster, England in August 2022 and his previous top-10 finish was in July.

Rory McIlroy’s 11 bogeys over four days, including an unfortunate enconter with a banana peel on Saturday, kept him out of contention. On Sunday, the Northern Irishman had a final round 69, with five birdies and three bogeys, to finish in a tie for 10th.

McIlroy, the Race to Dubai winner and who completed his career Grand Slam when he won the Masters this year, was naking his first appearance at the Australian Open since 2015. He won it in 2013.

Speaking after his final round Sunday, the world No. 2 called for a more favorable schedule to attract more of the game’s top players.

While he thought the sandbelt courses held massive appeal, the s didn’t help the Open attract the top overseas players.

“I obviously would love to have a few more players come down and play, but it’s hard with three tournaments going on in the schedule this week,” said McIlroy referring to the schedule clash with Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.

“There need to be conversations had with people much more important than me that set the schedules, and hopefully the Australian Open can find a date that accommodates everyone and everyone can at least have the option to come down.”

“People seeing the scenes here on TV…it’ll definitely pique their interest,” he said.

The winner of the Australian Open, which is the second event on the European tour’s new schedule of tournaments for late this year and 2026, receives a Masters exemption next year. And the top three finishers not already exempt will qualify for the British Open in 2026 at Royal Birkdale.

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