Cameron Smith pushed until it broke.
The brilliant young Australian came up agonisingly short in his push for the Dell Technologies Championship in Boston today, but in doing so his stocks continued to rise.
American Bryson DeChambeau held tough for his second consecutive FedEx Cup playoffs victory to ensure he will top the rankings heading into the US PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship later this month.
And while Smith’s push for victory ultimately meant he finished third after his closing bogey, the Queenslander stormed up to eighth in the overall standings.
His second third-place finish in as many weeks also lifts him to a career-high 32nd on the world rankings and, importantly, with a guaranteed start at the Tour Championship, an invite to all four major championships in 2019.
With five front-nine birdies, most notably three on the bounce from 7-9, DeChambeau broke clear of a pack of cotenders midway through the final round as Smith battled for momentum and Justin Rose handed back all his good efforts with four front-nine bogeys.
Smith began his move with a birdie on the 10th, and when he made back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, he was suddenly within one of DeChambeau.
But at the same time, DeChambeau steadied with a critical birdie on the 15th
Rose made a late charge of four birdies in the final six holes to close within two of the lead, but it was down to Smith to force the issue with an eagle realistically required up the par-five 18th.
The 25-year-old laced his drive, but it came to rest less than 5cm into the medium rough at the end of the fairway and although he was only 185m from the flag, his second shot was impaired sufficiently by the rough to leave it well short and in the hazard.
After a penalty drop, Smith couldn’t recover to make par and fell one behind Rose into third and leaving the stage for a relatively stress-free walk up the last for DeChambeau.
The American didn’t do it via his script, pulling his second shot well short and into the left rough.
But he held his nerve with a superb chip and although his birdie try hooked out, his closing 67 was two shots too good for the field.
Earlier, Marc Leishman carded two late birdies in his 71 that, while dropping him to 21st today, was good enough to rise to 22nd overall on the FedEx Cup standings and effectively ensure his place in Atlanta, as well.
Adam Scott closed with an impressive 66 to lift him to 49th today, but down to 48th in the FedEx standings. That will be good enough for a start in this week’s BMW Championship, but he’ll need to be in the top 30 after that to make the Tour Championship.
Jason Day missed the cut, but remains safe at 10th in the standings.