One bad shot and another bad choice cost Australian Cameron Smith a shot at a $2.4m payday

One decision on the final hole has cost an Australian Olympian the chance to play for a million-dollar payday.

Cameron Smith was left to rue a final hole calamity. Picture: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images/AFP

Olympian Cameron Smith declared he “wanted to win” after a pair of breathtaking final hole calamities cost the Australian nearly $2m in Memphis.

Backing up from his top 10 finish at the Tokyo Olympics last week, where he wore his national pride by shaving “AUS” in to the side of his head, Smith was tied for the lead standing on the 18th tee in the elite World Golf Championship St Jude Invitational.

A final birdie could have secured victory for Smith, but a par would have guaranteed a spot in a playoff for the $2.4m winner’s purse with two players also on 16-under already in the clubhouse.

But Smith found trouble from the tee, sending his ball way right into the trees, which left him a heavy decision to make with only a narrow exit available from his landing spot.

Smith could have chipped out and played for par to get into the playoff.

His playing partner, Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, also on 16-under, was in the fairway and put his second shot to around 10m from the hole, giving him an outside look at birdie.

So Smith tried to get through the small gap and paid the price when his ball careered into one of the trees guarding his passage and rebounded out of bounds.

Cameron Smith just needed par on the last to be in a potential four-man playoff. 😬 pic.twitter.com/n8VJGNmIHL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 8, 2021

The Queenslander, second time around, chipped out to the fairway and played an approach to 1.5m from the hole.

That play first time around would have ensured a par to get Smith into a playoff. Instead it was a short putt for a double-bogey, which tumbled Smith down the finishing order.

Instead of vying for the $2.4m winner’s purse, Smith finished in a tie for fifth, still pocketing $520,000.

Smith said he was wary of Harris English playing in the group behind him, unaware the one-time leader had fallen back to 15-under having been also put on the clock for slow play.

“There was a little gap up there. I had to hit like a medium flight draw and I tried to hit it. I mean, I wanted to win,” Smith said.

“I didn’t want to chip it out and leave my chances in (English’s) hands. He was still 16-under at the time. I wanted to make sure I had a good look at birdie and I just didn’t execute it.

“I just hit it too far right. The actual flight of it was good, it just hit the tree there on the right.

“I was really disappointed with how I hit my driver on the weekend. I need to get that in shape.”

Ancer eventually won on the second playoff hole, defeating Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns, to capture the Mexican’s first PGA tour title.

Originally published as One bad shot and another bad choice cost Australian Cameron Smith a shot at a $2.4m payday