'This is awful': Golf world stunned by Cameron Smith 'disaster'

Cameron Smith's shot at Masters glory came undone in brutal fashion in Sunday's final round at Augusta.

The Aussie entered the back nine on Sunday just four shots behind World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and playing catch up after turning at 7-under for the tournament.

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Smith had slashed Scheffler's overnight advantage to just one stroke with two successive birdies to open his round.

However the American then enjoyed two huge breaks on the third hole.

After driving into the trees left, Scheffler was given relief from an interfering scoreboard only to leave his pitch shot short and watch his ball tumble back down the hill.

Staring a bogey in the face as Smith threatened to seize the lead, Scheffler instead miraculously chipped in for birdie.

Smith was unable to save par from the same position as Scheffler's hole-out, suddenly leaving the Queenslander three shots behind again.

Smith made another bogey on the par-3 fourth hole after taking an aggressive line off the tee and finding the bunker, leaving him trailing by four shots once again.

Both players birdied the seventh as Scheffler moved to 11 under and assumed control, before things got very ugly for Smith.

The Aussies started the back nine in disastrous fashion with another bogey, before a triple-bogey six on the Par-3 12th.

Smith found the water with his tee shot and tumbled down the leaderboard as a result, eventually finishing third on 5-under.

Scheffler ran away with the title, finishing 10-under and three shots ahead of Rory McIlroy.

Aussie fans were left gutted as Smith's Masters dream slipped away from him.

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Four-time major winner McIlroy was the only other contender heading down the stretch after storming to 7-under.

Needing a Masters jacket to complete a fabled career grand slam, McIlroy had five birdies and an eagle in his first 13 holes to pull within five shots of Scheffler.

The Northern Irishman then chipped in from the bunker on the 18th hole to record his best round at the Masters ever with a 64.

His bogey-free trip around Augusta matched the best final round in the history of the Masters and pushed him into second place at 7-under, trailing only Scheffler.

His round included six birdies and an eagle at the par-5 13th.

McIlroy's playing partner Collin Morikawa followed his lead at the last hole, making birdie from the sand shortly after McIlroy pulled off the feat.

Smith's countryman Min Woo Lee briefly charged into fourth spot with a spectacular record-equalling six-under par 30 on his outward nine.

The 23-year-old Masters debutant eagled the par-5 second hole, then reeled off four straight birdies to surge to two under.

But Lee's challenge faltered with four bogeys in a row to start the back nine.

Still, he rallied with another birdie on the 16th to close with a two-under 70 to be sharing 14th spot in the clubhouse in a highly impressive maiden Masters.

with agencies

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