Cameron Smith’s aspirations of reclaiming his 2022 British Open title have been severely dashed after a disastrous opening round at Royal Troon. Leading a six-strong Australian contingent, Smith’s day took a turn for the worse right from the start. The Queenslander struggled with thick rough on his opening drive, resulting in a bogey, followed by a triple-bogey seven on the second hole after driving out of bounds. He ended the day nine-over, effectively ending his chances of securing a second British Open title.
This round equaled Smith’s worst performance at a major, matching his 9-over 79 at Shinnecock Hills during a challenging day at the US Open in 2018. It could have been even worse if not for a long birdie putt on the 18th hole.
Reflecting on his round, Smith remarked, “Just a bad day, really. I mean, if you had told me yesterday that I was going to shoot that, I wouldn’t have said that was possible.” His score of 80 was matched by Australia’s amateur debutant Jasper Stubbs, who qualified for the tournament by winning the Asia-Pacific Championship at Royal Melbourne near his home.
While conditions at the British Open on day one were undeniably difficult, Smith’s playing partner Shane Lowry managed to excel, leading the field with a 5-under after an impressive round despite the challenging weather.
Smith’s other playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick, was among several golfers, including Australian Adam Scott, to finish under par. Fitzpatrick commented on the tough conditions, saying, “If you ask Shaneo, it is probably a different story, but no, it’s hard, mate. There was a lot of crosswinds and it was hard to keep the ball on the fairway, and then, when you landed in the rough, you’re kind of guessing with the bounces you’re going to get, so yeah, it was brutal. It really was a good test of golf and you needed to be on your A-plus game to be under par, and I witnessed it.”