Cam Smith falls short of the medals at the Olympics
Cam Smith Tokyo Olympics . Credit Getty Images
The 27-year-old, with “AUS” emblazoned on the side of his head, embodied the Australian spirit by showing tremendous fight throughout his round of eight birdies, three bogeys and seven pars.
His first birdie of the day came at the par-4 third courtesy of a brilliant putt from 8.71m.
A bogey at the next hole was a hiccup, but he then proceeded to birdie five, six and seven and Australians fans began to believe that the unlikely could be done.
Another great birdie putt at the 10th - this time from 13m - and a classy shot from the fairway bunker on the 11th to set up birdie had fans cheering from their couches.
The nerves intensified as he backed up those birdies with a bogey at the 12th - his flop shot hit the flag and it would have been a birdie had it dropped.
“I hit such a good drive down the middle of the fairway - to make a pretty soft bogey like that was a bit crappy - and then to miss the short putt on the next hole, I knew it was going to be hard work from there,” Smith said.
A trio of pars to follow left him needing to attack the home stretch.
On the par-3 16th, he put his tee shot to within 3 metres and knocked in the birdie putt.
He then went after the drivable par-4 17th and made a nice up-and-down for birdie to be 15-under par.
Golf - Olympics: Day 9
KAWAGOE, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Medalists, from left, C.T. Pan of Team Chinese Taipei, Xander Schauffele of Team USA and Rory Sabbatini of Team Slovakia pose with their bronze, gold and silver medals, respectively, during the medal ceremony following the final round of Mens Individual Stroke Play Golf on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on the East Course at Kasumigaseki Country Club on August 1, 2021 in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
It would prove to be the number that would have secured him a spot in the bronze medal playoff - one shot less than Smith predicted.
A missed putt from just over two metres on the 18th - this time for par after putting his second shot from a fairway bunker over the back of the green - put an end to his chances.
It was the second time that Smith came unstuck on the 18th this week - he made a double bogey on Friday when his ball ricocheted off the grandstand steps and ended up in the pond 50m away.
“It didn’t suit my eye all week,” he said of the final hole.
The nature of the Olympic tournament also left him with a very different feeling to normal.
“If I had walked off the 18th green there in a typical PGA round, I’d genuinely be pretty happy,” he said.
“But it’s a bit of a different feeling - obviously a bit bummed to end it like that.”
Regardless, Smith loved the Olympic experience.
“It was better than I thought it would be,” he said.
“It would have been great to have the crowds out here - especially the Japanese crowds, they go nuts for golf - it would have been such a cool experience.
“But we had a great week - it would have been nice to go and watch some other Aussies events - but it’s been such a cool week and it’s always good to put on the green and gold.”
