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The 150th Open
17 July 2022
Smith's Scintillating 64
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Lowest Final Rounds at The Open
Cameron Smith produced an all-time great final round of 64 around the famous Old Course links to claim golf’s original Major in its 150th playing.
Smith’s eight-under-par round, which included five straight birdies to begin his back nine that tallied only 30 strokes, is the second lowest winning round in Open Championship history, and was Smith’s second such round of that score during the week.
It also helps the 28-year-old pip Zach Johnson’s 66 in 2015 as the lowest final round by a St Andrews Champion.
Here is how Smith’s incredible round stacks up against famous competition.
Henrik Stenson – 2016, Royal Troon - 63
The only player to shoot lower than Smith in a final round and win is Henrik Stenson, as he fired a stunning round of 63 at Royal Troon in 2016 to win The 145th Open Championship.
In an epic battle against Phil Mickelson, Stenson came out on top with four birdies in his final five holes, and an astonishing 11 birdies on the day. Mickelson himself shot one of the best final rounds ever in an Open, but his 65 was not enough to match Stenson.
Still, Smith matched Stenson’s total to par with eight-under, and fittingly matched Stenson’s 20-under-par Championship total as the record winning score in Open history.
Zach Johnson – 2015, St Andrews - 66
The previous best final round at an Open by a Champion at St Andrews was set in 2015, as Zach Johnson fired a six-under par 66 on a Monday en route to the Claret Jug.
Coming from three strokes behind the leaders, Johnson birdied seven of his first 12 holes, and after a small back-nine stumble holed an iconic 30-foot putt on the 72nd hole to post a target of -15.
The total score was enough to get Johnson into a play-off, which he won ahead of Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen.
Smith had better luck than his fellow Australian Leishman in 2022, and did not require a playoff as he birdied the 18th to win by one over Cameron Young. Smith also managed to emulate another famous Aussie too..
Greg Norman – 1993, Royal St George’s - 64
In 1993, Greg Norman fired an astonishing final round of 64, which included a missed one-foot putt on the 17th.
Norman, who had won The Open in 1986 and was known for supreme rounds of brilliance, dominated Royal St George’s through 16 holes on Sunday.
But despite a small missed putt on 17 in the final round, Norman exorcised a few demons at Sandwich, finishing out on 18 with a par for a 64 and the title over great rival Nick Faldo.
Smith in 2022 emulated Norman with his 64 in the final round to win, two strokes better to par than Norman's six-under. The 28-year-old also became the fifth Champion Golfer from Australia, after Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Norman and one more Australian who won in fine style...
Ian Baker-Finch – 1991, Royal Birkdale, 66
In 1991 at Royal Birkdale, Ian Baker-Finch shot 64, 66 over the weekend to defeat his compatriot Mike Harwood by two strokes.
Baker-Finch began his final round in sensational style, and held on to shoot 66 and become the fourth Australian to win The Open.
Smith in 2022 became the fifth, 29 years after Norman’s second triumph, and his 64 will certainly go down as one of the best final rounds in the history of The Open.
Smith’s eight-under-par round, which included five straight birdies to begin his back nine that tallied only 30 strokes, is the second lowest winning round in Open Championship history, and was Smith’s second such round of that score during the week.
It also helps the 28-year-old pip Zach Johnson’s 66 in 2015 as the lowest final round by a St Andrews Champion.
Here is how Smith’s incredible round stacks up against famous competition.
Henrik Stenson – 2016, Royal Troon - 63
The only player to shoot lower than Smith in a final round and win is Henrik Stenson, as he fired a stunning round of 63 at Royal Troon in 2016 to win The 145th Open Championship.
In an epic battle against Phil Mickelson, Stenson came out on top with four birdies in his final five holes, and an astonishing 11 birdies on the day. Mickelson himself shot one of the best final rounds ever in an Open, but his 65 was not enough to match Stenson.
Still, Smith matched Stenson’s total to par with eight-under, and fittingly matched Stenson’s 20-under-par Championship total as the record winning score in Open history.
Zach Johnson – 2015, St Andrews - 66
The previous best final round at an Open by a Champion at St Andrews was set in 2015, as Zach Johnson fired a six-under par 66 on a Monday en route to the Claret Jug.
Coming from three strokes behind the leaders, Johnson birdied seven of his first 12 holes, and after a small back-nine stumble holed an iconic 30-foot putt on the 72nd hole to post a target of -15.
The total score was enough to get Johnson into a play-off, which he won ahead of Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen.
Smith had better luck than his fellow Australian Leishman in 2022, and did not require a playoff as he birdied the 18th to win by one over Cameron Young. Smith also managed to emulate another famous Aussie too..
Greg Norman – 1993, Royal St George’s - 64
In 1993, Greg Norman fired an astonishing final round of 64, which included a missed one-foot putt on the 17th.
Norman, who had won The Open in 1986 and was known for supreme rounds of brilliance, dominated Royal St George’s through 16 holes on Sunday.
But despite a small missed putt on 17 in the final round, Norman exorcised a few demons at Sandwich, finishing out on 18 with a par for a 64 and the title over great rival Nick Faldo.
Smith in 2022 emulated Norman with his 64 in the final round to win, two strokes better to par than Norman's six-under. The 28-year-old also became the fifth Champion Golfer from Australia, after Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Norman and one more Australian who won in fine style...
Ian Baker-Finch – 1991, Royal Birkdale, 66
In 1991 at Royal Birkdale, Ian Baker-Finch shot 64, 66 over the weekend to defeat his compatriot Mike Harwood by two strokes.
Baker-Finch began his final round in sensational style, and held on to shoot 66 and become the fourth Australian to win The Open.
Smith in 2022 became the fifth, 29 years after Norman’s second triumph, and his 64 will certainly go down as one of the best final rounds in the history of The Open.
