Australia’s Cameron Smith captures LIV Golf Bedminster crown

BEDMINSTER, New Jersey: Australia’s Cameron Smith, last year’s British Open champion, fired a three-under-par 68 on Sunday for a blowout victory at the LIV Golf League event at Trump National Bedminster. The 29-year-old from Brisbane finished 54 holes at the New Jersey layout on 12-under 201 with India’s Anirban Lahiri a distant second, seven strokes adrift. “That was a good day,” Smith said.

“I’m looking forward to a couple weeks with the clubs down.” Smith moved atop LIV’s season points list with the victory. “That was the goal since the start of the year, to at least be up there with a shot at it with one tournament to go. Ticking the box in that department this week.” Smith, a six-time winner on the US PGA Tour before jumping last year to the Saudi-backed upstart series, captured his third career LIV Golf title, having taken last year’s Chicago trophy and last month’s London crown.

There was little suspense after Phil Mickelson’s challenge faded early. Smith began the final round with a four-stroke lead over six-time major winner Mickelson but opened with a bogey. After Smith and Mickelson made bogeys at the third hole, the Aussie saw his lead trimmed to two when Mickelson birdied the par-3 fourth.

Smith boosted his lead with a birdie at the sixth and Mickelson plunked two in the water at the par-3 seventh on his way to a quintuple-bogey 8 that dropped the 53-year-old US left-hander eight adrift — leaving Smith five ahead of the field with 11 to play. Smith reeled off three birdies in a row starting at the par-5 eighth, stretching his lead to seven strokes, and cruised from there. Ripper GC, captained by Smith, won the team competition on 20-under, defeating Crushers and Stinger by 11 strokes.