It has been a long time since an Australian last won one of golf’s four Major Championships. Not since 2015 when Jason Day lifted the PGA Championship has an Australian claimed one of the golf’s most prized tournaments, despite coming close on a number of occasions over the past seven years.
With just two Majors remaining this year, time is running out for our best Australian hopes to claim one a Major and break the seven-year drought.
The British Open and US Open are the two remaining Majors in 2022 and Cameron Smith remains our best hope. The US Open will be contested from 20-24 June at The Country Club (Brookline) in Massachusetts and Smith goes into the tournament off the back of a good start to the year. He finished T3 at the Masters at Augusta in April and followed this up with a T13 finish at the PGA Championship in May.
He is currently priced at 19.00 with Betway Sports to win the US Open in 2022 behind favourites Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. His best finish at the US Open was on his debut in 2015 when he finished T4. Since then, he has been a little more inconsistent and missed the cut the last time out.
Following the US Open, the British Open will be played at St Andrews in the middle of July and will celebrate the 150th edition of the oldest Championship in golf. Smith has never found his form at the Open Championship. Played on very different courses to those that most players are familiar with on the PGA Tour, the Open offers up a different challenge and it is one Smith has yet to master.
His best finish since making his debut in 2017 is T20 in 2019 and last time out, Smith finished in a tie for 33rd. Betway has Smith priced at 21.00 for the British Open despite his patchy form so it appears his best hope will come at the US Open in June.
Smith has had success at one of golf’s most coveted competitions – the Players Championship – which is often referred to as the fifth major. He won the Players in 2022 held at TPC Sawgrass, winning by one stroke from India’s Anirban Lahiri.
This win pocketed Smith his biggest ever payout for winning a PGA event – a whopping $US3.6 million ($5 million). This was the largest first prize check in PGA history and also propelled Smith to a career-high third in the world rankings.
Sith, of course, is not our only hope. Australians have been enjoying a lot of success on the PGA Tour this season and whilst the wins might not be coming, there have been some notable performances with four Aussies currently ranked in the world’s top 50.
Joining Smith are Adam Scott (42), Lucas Herbert (44) and Marc Leishman (48) with Min Woo Lee (58) sitting just outside the top 50. Despite his current ranking, there have also been some promising signs from a resurgent Jason Day (132) this season as he battles back from injury so there is definitely hope as we head into the final two majors of the year that we could still see an Aussie at the top of the podium.
History of golf in Australia
Tasmania, of course, has a rich history when it comes to golf in Australia. The first-ever golf course in Australia was built in Tasmania when the Ratho Golf Links opened in 1840 at Bothwell in the highlands.
Following this, Newlands Golf Club was established in Hobart in 1896 and Launceston Golf Club followed in 1899.
The northwest coast of Tasmania has become a mecca for golfers from around the world and is home to some of Australia’s finest golf courses. Courses are built in outstanding natural locations with spectacular scenery, ranging from hillside courses overlooking golden beaches, on sand dunes with magnificent ocean views, fairways beside river banks or in beautiful bushland.
Cape Wickham is rated as the second-best golf course in Tasmania with King Island placing seventh followed by Ulverstone in eighth place. Devonport, also located in the North West comes in tenth place giving golfers a huge range of options when visiting the North West of Tasmania.
Exploring North West Tasmania
Of course, there is more to the northwest of Tasmania than the amazing golf courses. From waterfalls to wineries, the northwest of Tasmania is just waiting to be discovered.
Tasmania’s State Forests have an abundance of wild rivers, streams and waterfalls. From the highest falls with plummeting shoots down cliffs to gentle cascades, there is a waterfall to suit everyone, mostly situated in beautiful rainforests.
With plenty of accommodation options in the region, it is a must-do on many Aussies’ bucket lists as well as being a tourist destination for international visitors.
Discover this beautiful part of the world on your next adventure.
