No one in the history of the PGA Tour finished less under par than Cameron Smith, and he didn’t appreciate it until his final birdie in the Tournament of Champions.
Not with Jon Rahm, the number 1 in the world, on his heels with every step he took. Not with Matt Jones making a pair of eagles and a 50-foot birdie putt in a five-hole span to stay in the fight at Kapalua.
In the best condition Kapalua has seen in the 24 times it has hosted the winners event to start the year, Smith was relentless all day until his 3-foot birdie that converted the Aussie on the 18th hole to sign a score of 65. strokes, 8 under par, and a one-hit win over Rahm.
“That was very intense,” Smith said. “It was a wild thing. I felt like I needed to birdie to more or less keep up with him or to stay ahead. ”
Smith finished the tournament with 258 strokes, 34 under par.
Only three players in tour history have finished 30 under par or less. Ernie Els set the record with 31 at Kapalua in 2003 and won by eight strokes. Jordan Spieth shot 30-under in 2016, also leading by eight. Dustin Johnson also went 30-under at the 2020 Liberty National and won by 11 strokes.
Smith won by one hit.
“An unreal round,” Smith said. “It is something that I will never forget.”
Rahm never shot above 66, and was one of three players to tie the Plantation tour record with 61 strokes in the third round. He had 32 birdies for the week, tying a PGA Tour record for a 72-hole event, with Paul Gow at the BC Open and Mark Calcavecchia at the Phoenix Open , both in 2001.
“I have every reason to smile,” Rahm said. “It’s a bittersweet moment.”