Rising star Elvis Smylie has recorded the largest win of his younger profession, holding off his mentor and three-time winner Cameron Smith down the stretch to take out the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
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LEADERBOARD: Comply with the newest scores and updates from Royal Queensland
The event was decreased to 54 holes (three rounds) after moist climate washed out the second spherical on Friday.
Smylie, a 22-year-old from the Gold Coast, frolicked with the Australian main chief in 2019 as a Cameron Smith Scholarship recipient, however 5 years later, was taking part in alongside him within the closing spherical of considered one of Australia’s largest tournaments.
Not solely did he play with Smith. He beat him, due to a flawless closing spherical.
Smylie carded a bogey-free -4 67 to complete the event at -14, two pictures forward of Smith (-12).
Son of former Australian tennis star Liz, Smylie nailed loads of massive putts to maintain the likes of Smith and Marc Leishman at bay.
Each Smylie and Smith began the day at -10, however after a -4 entrance 9, Smylie solid to a 3 shot lead.
It will be one he wouldn’t relinquish, though there was loads of late drama.
On the par three seventeenth, Smylie had a 3 shot lead in the reduction of to 2 when Smith miraculously holed a chip shot from off the inexperienced.
That arrange a closing gap shootout which was made much more fascinating when Smylie hit his tee shot into the timber.
Nonetheless, like he had all day, Smylie saved his cool to get out of hassle with an impressive second shot from the tough earlier than going up an right down to file par, which was all Smith may handle on the final as nicely.
“I gained’t overlook today,” Smylie mentioned.
“Taking part in with a few heroes in Leish and Cam.
“My brief sport was nice. I saved myself in that division as I used to be fairly atypical off the tee.”
Defending champ Min Woo Lee, who began the day trip of competition, completed his event on a excessive, carding a -5 66 for his closing spherical to finish on -7.
That’s regardless of Lee later revealing {that a} “freak” knee damage affected his title defence.
“I harm my knee originally of the week, so I couldn’t bend down and I nonetheless don’t have the arrogance to bend down,” he mentioned.
“That’s a purpose I used to be a bit of flat for the primary few days.
“It was only a freak accident. I actually simply turned in mattress and one thing popped.
“It’s getting so much higher however to learn putts, I couldn’t bend down so I used to be half kneeling.
“When one thing occurs you simply don’t have the complete belief in it but, however I’m slowly attending to that.
“I can nonetheless swing a membership at no matter miles per hour however I can’t bend down, which is actually astonishing. It’s a superb damage I suppose.”
Different notables together with Jason Day (-8), in his first event on residence soil in seven years, and USPGA Tour winner Cam Davis (-9).
QLD crowd erupts as Smith surges forward | 01:53
LEADERBOARD
1 – Elvis Smylie -14
2 – Cam Smith -12
T3 – Anthony Quayle -11
T3 – Marc Leishman -11
5 – David Micheluzzi -10
Two on -9, seven on -8.
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