Cameron Smith holds back tears after $27 million golfing drama

Australian golfer Cameron Smith has produced one of the most memorable final rounds on recent history to claim victory at The Players Championship.

Smith produced a stunning 6-under 66 in his final round, which was held on Monday after rain delays at TPC Sawgrass, to earn the second and biggest win of his professional career.

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Playing with members of his family present for the first time in more than two years thanks to the Australia's strict border rules throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Smith was emotional after winning $5 million in prize money for his trouble.

Hitting five birdies through the first six holes of his final round, Smith looked in ominous form before a trio of bogeys to end the front nine saw him sharing the lead at the halfway point.

Fortunately, it didn't take him long to recover from that setback.

Four birdies in the next six holes set him up for success, but it was the famous par 3 17th at Sawgrass where Smith truly stamped his authority.

The 28-year-old hunted the flag to perfection, setting up yet another birdie that gave him an unassailable lead, even after landing his shot in the water on the 18th, nailing a brilliant recovery shot to save a bogey.

Interviewed after the stunning victory, Smith was visibly emotional when asked how it felt to be able to play in front of his family for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

"It's really cool to have them here. My main priority was just to hang out with them," he said, with a clear crack in his voice.

"Golf was second for these few weeks, so it's nice to see them and nice to get a win for them."

Cameron Smith mounts comeback to win The Players Championship

Smith's final round 66 left him on 13 under 265, one ahead of India's Anirban Lahiri, who shot a closing 69. England's Paul Casey was third on 11 under while Kevin Kisner was fourth on 10 under.

Weather disruption that wiped out swathes of play on Thursday and Friday meant the final round was only completed early Monday, with Smith two adrift of Lahiri, the 54-hole leader on nine under.

Smith's final round got off to a flying start, with a 38-foot birdie putt on the first to move to within one of the lead.

Another birdie on the second gave him a share of the lead, before he took sole possession of the top of the leaderboard with a third straight birdie on the third.

He went two clear with his fourth birdie on the fourth.

Another birdie putt from 10 feet on the sixth hole preserved his two-shot advantage before three straight bogeys on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes allowed England's Paul Casey and Keegan Bradley to join him at the top of the leaderboard.

But Smith then responded with a sensational start to the back nine which mirrored the start of his round, making four straight birdies on the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th to regain a two-shot lead.

There was a wobble on the par-five 16th when his tee-shot flew into the trees flanking the left hand edge of the fairway. But he recovered brilliantly to make par.

Then on the iconic par-three 17th, Smith bravely blasted a nine iron to four feet for a birdie which left him three shots clear heading to the 18th.

Yet there threatened to be a plot twist at the last, when another wayward tee shot left him in the rough amongst the trees.

An attempt to chip safely onto the fairway ended in disaster when the Australian's ball rolled into the water forcing him to drop.

But once again Smith's iron play came to the rescue.

He stroked a fourth shot to four feet, leaving him with a straightforward bogey putt to limit the damage.

Lahiri meanwhile, who had closed to within one of the lead after a birdie of his own on the 17th, then failed to chip in from 41 feet on the last to leave Smith alone at the top of the leaderboard and celebrating a $3.6 million payday.

With agencies

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