Tessa Lee, Sports journalist reporting on global leagues since 2021.
Cameron Smith narrowly missed a chance to challenge for PGA Championship glory after a late stumble during the final round at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania. The Australian surged within one shot of the lead midway through Sunday’s round before a costly bogey on the 17th hole dropped him back into the crowded leaderboard battle. Smith eventually signed for a four under total after a final round 68, continuing a much improved showing following a difficult run in recent major tournaments.
Starting the day four shots behind overnight leader Alex Smalley, Smith looked capable of mounting a serious title challenge after an impressive start.
Smith Charges Into Contention Early
The 2022 Open champion produced one of his strongest major championship performances in recent years with a composed and aggressive front nine.
Smith collected three birdies across his opening nine holes to climb to five under for the tournament and move firmly into contention near the top of the leaderboard.
The Australian’s round could have been even better after several missed opportunities.
Smith suffered an unfortunate lip out on the fifth hole before narrowly missing an eagle opportunity at the par five ninth after leaving his putt short.
He also came close to another birdie at the par three 14th when his putt clipped the edge of the hole but refused to drop.
Despite those frustrations, Smith continued to stay patient and remained among the leaders entering the closing stretch of the final round.
Bogey At 17 Ends Title Push
Smith’s hopes suffered a major setback on the par three 17th hole.
The Australian pushed his tee shot wide right and then left a lengthy birdie attempt well short of the target. He missed the following putt and was forced to settle for his first bogey of the round.
It also marked Smith’s first three putt of the entire tournament.
The mistake proved costly in an exceptionally tight leaderboard battle.
Smith still had an opportunity to finish strongly on the final hole after escaping from a greenside bunker to create a birdie chance that would have moved him into a share of the clubhouse lead.
However, he pushed the putt just to the right side of the hole and settled for par to finish the championship at four under.
Even with the disappointment, the performance represented an encouraging turnaround for Smith, who had missed the cut in each of his previous six major championship appearances.
Aaron Rai Moves Into The Lead
As Smith faded late, England’s Aaron Rai surged into top position during a dramatic final round.
Rai recovered brilliantly after struggling through the front nine with three bogeys. The Englishman transformed his round with an eagle on the ninth hole before adding birdies on the 11th and 13th holes.
Those gains pushed Rai ahead of Germany’s Matti Schmid as the tournament entered its closing stages.
Schmid remained in contention throughout the afternoon while several players continued to move up and down the tightly packed leaderboard.
Justin Thomas Makes Strong Late Charge
Two time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas also produced a stunning final round to put himself back into contention.
Thomas carded a five under 65 after recovering from an early bogey on the third hole.
The former world number one responded by making six birdies across a 12 hole stretch before calmly sinking a long par putt on the final green.
Thomas famously won the 2022 PGA Championship after beginning the final round seven shots behind the leader at Southern Hills, and he again attempted to chase down a sizeable deficit on Sunday.
His final round charge temporarily secured the clubhouse lead and kept alive hopes of winning the Wanamaker Trophy for a third time.
Alex Smalley Falters After Strong Start
Overnight leader Alex Smalley began the final round steadily with three consecutive pars to protect his advantage.
The American entered the day searching for his first PGA Tour victory after 140 starts but lost momentum with a damaging double bogey on the sixth hole.
That mistake quickly dropped Smalley back into the chasing group and opened the door for several contenders including Rai, Thomas and Smith.
The final round developed into a tightly contested battle as players traded momentum throughout the afternoon at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia.
For Smith, the week still marked a positive step forward after several disappointing major performances. The Australian showed signs of returning to the form that made him one of the world’s best players and a major champion only a few seasons ago.