Cameron Smith waited until the 72nd hole to catch Brendan Steele and then made par to win a sudden-death playoff for his first individual title on the PGA Tour.
“That’s one I’ve wanted to tick off for some time,” Smith told Golf Channel.
Smith rallied from three strokes behind entering the final round and canned a 9-foot birdie putt at 18 to shoot 2-under 68 and force extra holes.
On a rainy, soggy day, Steele closed with a 1-over 71 and squandered a two-stroke lead with three holes to go, missing a 6-foot-par putt at 17 and then a 28-foot birdie putt for the win.
On the first playoff hole, Smith blocked his tee shot right, but he drew a decent lie and punched an approach under a tree that chased to within 10 feet of the hole. With the pressure applied, Steele’s wedge from 87 yards away in the fairway flew the green and he pitched past the hole and missed his par putt to the right.
Smith, a native of Brisbane, Australia, was among the Aussie players in the field who pledged to donate $500 per birdie and $1,000 per eagle to aid the Australian wildlife effort.
Smith previously had won the 2018 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event with Jonas Blixt.
Smith and Steele finished regulation with a 72-hole total of 11-under 269.