Cameron Smith Wins The Players

Last updated on: March 14, 2022 at 10:40 pm by Kermit Zarley

Cameron Smith Wins The Players 2022-03-14T22:40:48-07:00 Kermit Zarley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Cameron Smith became the fifth Aussie to win the PGA Tour’s premiere golf championship today–THE PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He barely defeated Anirban Lihiri of India by one stroke to win what the pros call “the fifth major” in golf, Everyone agrees that it always presents the strongest field of the year, thus topping those of the four majors. The windy, rain-delayed tournament had to be extended an extra day to Monday.

Smith played a wild round of six-under par 66 today after scoring only one par through 13 holes. When he came to the treacherous little par three 17th hole, he had a two-stroke lead. Tournament officials always place the pin location in that tournament on the 4th and final round on the back right side of the green, near the water which surrounds almost all of the green. Plus, there is a small sand bunker on the right side, between the back center of the green and the water. The shot is only about 140 yards. To hit the ball at the pin, a straight shot must fly over that bunker.

With a two stroke lead, common wisdom says you play safe to make sure your ball finishes on the green, thus favor the center of the green. But Smith’s ball sailed straight at the pin and finished four feet from the hole. So, he looked like he was a daredevil hero. But, in fact, he said afterwards in the interview that he “pushed” the shot. Heh, it’s better to be lucky than good.

Yet despite Smith’s lead with one hole to play, he still was no shoe-in to take home the trophy. He pushed his drive on the long, dogleg par four 18th hole into the trees. He then tried to play safe on his second shot by pitching it into the fairway. But instead, he hit it too hard and the ball barely went through the fairway and trickled over the wood pilings to splash in the water hazard. From there, after dropping a ball with a one stroke penalty, he made a brilliant up-and-down for a bogey to escape disaster and walk away with a big smile on his face and a big check soon deposited in his bank account.

Cameron Smith is on a roll. He won the Sentry Tournament of Champions weeks ago. Now he has his eye on the first upcoming major–The Masters at Augusta, Georgia. He says he likes that course, and he has finished second there. But in my day, they never would have let him in the clubhouse. How so? Ben Crenshaw played his first Masters as an amateur in college. When he arrived at the grounds and entered the clubhouse, Mr. Clifford Roberts was there to greet him as he did with most players. Clifford was Bobby Jones’ close friend who helped the legendary superstar amateur stage The Masters. But Roberts was old school, so he said to the young but somewhat long-haired college student who was to acquire the nickname Gentile Ben, “Son, you need a haircut.”

Crenshaw got the message, turned around, and headed for the nearest barber shop. I suspect that Cameron Smith has twice as long of hair as Gentle Ben did. But then, Roberts is no more, things change, Augusta National even has female members now, which they never allowed for decades, not to mention about the race issue, and life goes on.

Previous Post

March 13, 2022

Who Are Angels?

Next Post

March 16, 2022 Comparing "Russian World" Teaching to Mystery Babylon: Part One of Two

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Angels Billy Graham Blog Description Book Reviews Christian Living Christianity Christology Church History Current Events Deity of Christ? Disarmament Eschatology Evangelicalism Ezekiel 38-39 Film Reviews God Golf Gospel Harmonization Health History Holy Spirit Incarnation? Interview Islam Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Jesus Last Empire Literary Announcements Major Championship Winners Masters Monotheism My Books New Testament Old Testament Politics Primitive Weapons Ryder Cup Science Society of Biblical Literature The Bible The Restitution of Jesus Christ Trinitarianism Trinity? Uncategorized Unconditional Love? War on Terrorism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book of the Bible is written as a song of love between a bride and groom?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ecclesiastes Proverbs Song of Songs Psalms

Books by This Author Books by Kermit Zarley Blog

See All Titles »