The putt on the 72nd hole that sunk Cameron Smith and his tournament hopes
He raced up the 18th fairway, knowing that only two disasters could force him to forfeit.
One; Smith would have to pitch three innings. Secondly, the Great Dane would have to endure ups and downs through the ages.
Even if either of those things happened, he would be back to the 18th starting spot for a chance at the play-offs and the Stonehaven Cup would still be within reach.
But Neergaard-Peterson took the shot of his life, landing the ball just short of the pin and watching the ball go 20 meters away. Smith then hit a very solid putt late on the right side that finished pin high, five feet from the hole.
And as the Dane sank his par-putt, the hearts of Australian fans followed a similar course.
Royal Melbourne went dead silent when Smith hit his short shot. The situation was clear; take the kick and head back to the tee for the playoffs. No damage. Smith had been solid all week, especially in the 6-foot-10 area.
He missed. Both disasters become reality.
Sitting next to the Stonehaven Cup, Neergaard-Peterson said he had about a 1 in 100 chance of going up and down to make par from this point on the course.
“As far as where I hit it, I can probably get there 20 percent of the time, 40 percent in the front bunker and 40 percent in the back bunker. And then from there it’s a 30-footer, which I probably only make five percent of the time.”
Smith would make close to nine out of 10 of those shots.
It’s unclear if there was pressure on him, if he read the shot slightly wrong, or if he just made the shot. Despite signing autographs and posing for selfies with fans, the presenter who owns the imprint did not speak to broadcaster Nine nor did he address the waiting media pack.
It was a bad shot by Smith’s standards, especially considering it didn’t come out of his mouth. While a win at Royal Melbourne wouldn’t exactly be career-defining for Smith, it could represent a significant moment for the Queenslander.
In his first media conference of the week on Tuesday, Smith said he felt close to unlocking something in his game despite missing the cut at Royal Queensland a few days ago.
He was right. He played well for the best part of 71 holes.
His week at Royal Melbourne should prove to Smith that he can compete with the world’s best players on the world-class glass golf course. But his last shot will be the one everyone remembers.
Adam Scott finished in a tie for fifth, four shots back at 11-under-par, giving him automatic entry into next year’s Open Championship.
Min Woo Lee finished a disappointing final round with three points in 14th place, while Victoria’s Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert were one stroke behind in 18th.
Rory McIlroy birdied his final two holes of the tournament to finish the tournament at seven under par, just outside the top 10.
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