A resurgent Cameron Smith could end a forgettable year with a maiden Australian Open title, with the Queenslander set to replace Min-woo Lee as the top local hope.
The former world number two entered the final round at Royal Melbourne on Sunday tied for second with a 5-under 66 and an eagle on the 14th hole to move to 12 under.
Smith turned in a short-game Masters, taking his only lead with a birdie on No. 17, and was fully appreciated by the 30,187 fans on the Sand Strip course.
But he dropped a shot on No. 18, while overnight leader Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen birdied four of the last five holes to regain the lead and shoot a 66.
The Dane finished at 13 under, leaving Smith two strokes behind along with fellow LIV golfers Carlos Ortiz of Mexico (66) and Si Woo Kim of South Korea (65).
Australians Adam Scott (68) and Lee (69) were both 10 under, while Lucas Herbert, who shot 65 in one of the day’s rounds, was two shots back.
Lee finished third after the second round but dropped down the leaderboard after four bogeys, three of which came on the front nine and some wild shots off the tee.
But the West Australian performed well under pressure and remained a major threat with four consecutive birdies between 12 and 15.
Championship winner Rory McIlroy entered the third round at five under par on the final day, his third-round campaign hampered by a double bogey on the second hole when his ball was bizarrely caught in a discarded banana pickup.
The major winner once again played an outstanding back nine, recording four birdies for a 68, but his championship hopes were all but over as he fell nine shots behind.
Smith comes to Royal Melbourne after a string of losses in 2025, including all four majors and most recently the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.
His slump began 12 months ago when he collapsed in the second round of the Australian Open, starting one shot off the lead and finishing eight shots behind.
The 2022 British Open champion has been a regular on the driving range and putting greens this week, determined to find some form, and his hard work appears to have finally paid off.
The 32-year-old birdied the par-4 12th hole to tie the leader, and two holes later he made an eagle on the par-5 14th hole to become the only leader.
It looked like he would lead going into the final round before a bogey on the 18th hole and a late surge from Neil Gaard-Petersen.
