Glorious British Open champion Smith, new Dutchman Van Migel 53

Australian Cameron Smith won the British Open title. The 28-year-old golfer scored no fewer than eight turns on the last day, resulting in a score of -20 below average.

In the rear, Lars van Megel ran a powerful final lap on his debut in a major tournament. The 28-year-old from Brabant hit -3 points on Sunday and finished four strokes below the track average. He finished the tie for 53rd place.

For Smith, this was the first major title of his career. The winner said: “I’ve had a lot of support today, especially from Australian fans. You guys have helped me, so that’s support for Australia.”

Smith kept American Cameron Young behind by one stroke at St Andrews. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy had short strokes. McIlroy started the final day as co-leader, alongside Norway’s Victor Hovland.

McIlroy hasn’t had a great day, only having two planes. Hovland fell even further, finishing off one bird and three ghosts. In the end, he tied for fourth place.

“I had a good chance of winning another major, but I didn’t,” said McIlroy, 33, who last won a major title in 2014.

McIlroy: “I don’t feel like I did anything wrong, but the shot wasn’t great. I played controlled golf, but some holes prevented me from finishing that.”

He could be at peace with Smith’s victory. “I was defeated by a better player this week. Spinning at 64 strokes is a great achievement, so stay tuned Cam. He had a great week.”