Cameron Smith earns eye-watering windfall after British Open triumph

Cam Smith can afford to party as hard as he wants after picking up a monster cheque for winning The Open Championship on Monday.

Cameron Smith is finally a major champion. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Cameron Smith said he’s going to celebrate his Open triumph with beers, and lots of them.

Wherever he ends up drinking, you can bet each round will be on the Aussie after his eye-watering windfall.

Smith picks up a winner’s cheque for $3.68 million after finishing one shot clear at the top of the leaderboard at St Andrews ahead of American Cameron Young.

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The stunning first major victory of his career takes the Queenslander’s season earnings past a whopping $13.5 million and follows on from the monster payday he scored at this year’s PGA Players Championship.

Smith won the event known as the unofficial “fifth major” in March and took home a cool $5 million for his efforts.

The 28-year-old also enjoyed a victory at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii earlier in the year which, along with a smattering of other impressive results, has seen his bank balance soar.

Smith has racked up more than $13.5 million in prize money this season alone — his most lucrative year to date since turning professional — and boasts career earnings of more than $37 million.

Smith sealed his win with a kiss. (Photo by Andy Buchanan / AFP)

There was $20.5 million in prize money on offer at The Open this year — the largest purse in the prestigious tournament’s history.

“There have been significant changes in prize money over the last year,” R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said. “We have therefore increased the prize fund by 22 per cent, which means that the prize money has increased by more than 60 per cent since 2016.”

Open prize money: Top 10

1st : $3,680,000 — Cameron Smith

2nd: $2,140,000 — Cameron Young

3rd: $1,372,000 — Rory McIlroy

4th: $1,066,000 — Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland ($654,000 each)

5th: $857,000

6th: $743,000 — Brian Harman, Dustin Johnson ($469,500 each)

7th: $638,000

8th: $538,000 — Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth ($325,666 each)

9th: $472,000

10th: $426,000

Cameron Smith was in fine form. (Photo by Andy Buchanan / AFP)

Smith’s first major will be a hard one to match as the man from Brisbane produced a scintillating 64 when it mattered most to match a British Open record of 20-under-par.

“To win an Open Championship in itself is probably going to be a golfer’s highlight in their career,” said Smith. “To do it around St Andrews, is just unbelievable.”

The stage appeared set for Rory McIlroy to end his eight-year wait to win another major as the Northern Irishman shared the overnight lead with Viktor Hovland, four shots clear of Smith.

Despite not dropping a shot all day, the world number two was still two shots shy of the winning mark.

“I got beaten by the better player this week. To shoot 64 to win an Open Championship at St Andrews is one hell of a showing,” said McIlroy. “Hats off to Cam, he’s had an unbelievable week.”

Yet, Smith’s performance over the past four days was no shock from one of the best players in the world this year.

The 28-year-old won the Players’ Championship, considered the “fifth major”, in March and set a new PGA record by winning the Tournament of Champions on 34-under-par in January.

“The Players’ at the start of the year, with the best field in golf, to go away with the win was a really big confidence booster,” said Smith.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be too long before I got one of these. I’ve knocked on the door, I think, maybe one too many times now. So it’s nice to get it done.”

With AFP