After weather forced a Monday finish, Cameron Smith fired a six-under 66 to win The Players by one shot, outlasting Anirban Lahiri thanks to 10 birdies.
By taking the fifth major, Smith also took home the largest payday in PGA Tour history, pocketing $3.6 million of the $20 million prize pool.
The 28-year-old Australian has quietly become one of golf’s best under-30 superstars largely due to his putting prowess. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting at TPC Sawgrass and is third on the season.
- Smith is now a career-best No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and No. 2 in the FedExCup standings.
- He’s won five PGA Tour events — including January’s Sentry Tournament of Champions — and two European Tour events.
- The Players was his fourth Top 10 of 2021-22.
- He leads the Tour with a 69.274 scoring average in 26 rounds.
He has earned $5.8 million this season and $22.8 million in his career, but the obvious next step for Smith and his bank account will be to win an official major.
Of the three Top 5 major finishes in his career, two have come at Augusta (T5 in 2018, T2 in 2020) — where Smith is the ninth-favorite (1800*) when it begins April 7.
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