Young Australian professional Cameron Smith vaulted to fifth in the United States PGA Tour’s CIMB Championship in Kuala Lumpur today with a brilliant final round.
Smith, 24, who had led the field through the first round before being overhauled in the middle of the tournament, closed with the day’s best round, a 64, at TPC Kuala Lumpur.
He finished with three consecutive birdies, and the result puts him into a projected 12th on the Fedex Cup standings at the start of a new season.
It is a confidence-builder for the former Australian amateur champion as he prepares to return home for the Emirates Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney next month.
Smith was beaten in a playoff last year by Jordan Spieth, and is hellbent on winning his national Open.
American Pat Perez won by two shots in Kuala Lumpur, shooting 24-under, eight shots ahead of Smith.
Meanwhile on the LPGA Tour, also in Asia, Australia’s Minjee Lee has logged her ninth top-10 finish of the season, coming home tied-sixth in the KEB Hana Bank Challenge in South Korea.
Lee closed with a 71 to finish 12-under par, seven shots shy of the winning score posted by Jin Young Ko of Korea.
In Italy, Marcus Fraser closed with a 65 in the Italian Open but finished fifth behind Tyrell Hatton.