Page 32 - Golf Champion - August 2022

[PGA TOUR]

Rory McIlroy

the lowest score ever shot in an Open at St. Andrews, a on playing his last nine-hole practice round early in the
20-under 268. And he closed with a remarkable 30 on the morning so he could stream the match on his phone at
back nine, the lowest ever shot by an Open champion. St. Andrews.
But back to Smith’s joke. It was a light-hearted response. The Maroons, missing three key players because of
But there was some wisdom hidden inside it. Smith is – COVID and injuries, were underdogs. Then, in a frenetic
with all due respect – like a mongrel dog fighting over opening few minutes of the game they lost two more
the first bone he’s seen in a month. He’s the ultimate to concussion. Despite the obstacles, they won 22-12.
underdog, determined to prove doubters wrong. Pinfold confirmed Smith “drew a lot from that.”
Starting Sunday four shots off the lead was enough of a The underdog emerged on Sunday at the Old Course.
challenge. The fact one of the leaders was Rory McIlroy, Smith scripted a maroon shirt ahead of his attempt to
Great Britain’s great hope who the crowds were eager to chase down the local favorite.
coronate, was a red rag to a bull. After a solid 34 on the front nine, Smith looked up to see
Smith is from Queensland – the northeastern state in he’d only clawed back one shot on McIlroy. The time had
Australia known for its beautiful beaches, the Great come to put up or shut up.
Barrier Reef, and an ethos of never-say-die toughness. And so Smith went to work. He nearly drove the par-4
That determination is born out of Smith’s favorite sport 10th to make the first of five straight birdies that put him
other than golf – rugby league – where the Queensland one ahead of McIlroy. The best one came at the 13th – a
Maroons face the powerhouse New South Wales Blues hole that had nearly ended his chances a day earlier.
three times a year in an epic and brutal series of games Pinfold also caught some flak about Saturday’s double
called State of Origin. It’s tribal. bogey on 13. Many suggested he should have called Smith
Queensland is known for often winning against the odds. off a risky shot where he attempted to hit his ball while
It has a smaller talent pool to draw from, yet somehow standing in a bunker with the ball above his feet. That
rises above itself when putting on the jersey. One State shot sailed into a gorse bush, resulting in a double-bogey.
of Origin game fell on The Open’s eve, and Smith insisted Another of those moments came Sunday at the infamous

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