Chicago: Reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia won his first LIV Golf title on Sunday, holding off Dustin Johnson and Peter Uihlein down the stretch to win the Chicago Invitational.
The 29-year-old from Brisbane fired a 3-under par 69 to finish on 13-under 203 in the 54-hole shotgun start event at Rich Harvest Farms.
World No. 3 Smith finished with back-to-back birdies, the last from 20 feet, to defeat two-time major winner Johnson and Uihlein by three strokes.
Nine weeks after capturing the Claret Jug at St. Andrews, Smith said he needed a victory to send a message to critics of his decision to jump from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-backed upstart series. “I think I had to prove to myself and some other people that I’m a great player, that I’m out here to win golf tournaments,” Smith said.