Cameron Smith posted a near-perfect closing round at St. Andrews that included five straight birdies on the back nine to beat out Cameron Young and the favorite Rory McIlroy.

“All the names on there, every player that’s been at the top of their game has won this championship,” Smith, 28, told reporters following his British Open win. “It’s pretty cool to be on there. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will for a few weeks. Yeah, it’s just unreal.”

Under pressure, Smith was flawless. He posted eight-under 64 in the final round, which is good for the lowest final round by a champion at St. Andrews ever.

Young came in second one shot behind Smith.

With the win, the Australian golfer moves up to No. 2 in the world behind only Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy, who had been poised to break his eight-year majors drought in front of a home crowd, struggled to putt early. The four-time major champion before the age of 25, who joins Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in that category, has finished in the top 10 of 17 majors since 2015 but has failed to win one.

He congratulated Smith on his big win.

“The putter went cold on me,” McIlroy said. “When both Camerons – especially Smith – went on that run on the back nine, I had to dig deep to make birdies. And I just couldn’t. I got beaten by the better player this week. To go out and shoot 64 to win the Open Championship at St. Andrews is a hell of a showing. Hats off to Cam.”

Former U.S President Donald Trump criticized the organizers of the British Open 2021 for selecting Royal St. George in Kent as the course to host the major. Trump was unhappy a Scottish course that he owns was not selected. 

In an email from his post-presidential account, Trump stated, “As almost all of the great players, sportscasters, and golf aficionados know, the greatest site and course of all for The Open is Turnberry, in Scotland.”

Trump referred to the resort he bought for $63 million as a “truly magical place.”

Royal St. George has received criticism from some competitors for the nature of its bumpy course and unusual sightlines. 

Brooks Koepka made a statement earlier in the week. “It’s not my favorite venue that we’ve played,” he said. “Whether it be a couple shots to nothing, a couple blind tee shots or shots in where you can’t really see much. I’m not too big of a fan of that.’’

The ex-putter-in-chief explained the reasoning behind the course selection. “This course was not chosen for The Open because they consider a wonderful person, and many-time Club Champion, named Donald J. Trump, to be too controversial.” 

Trump responded to this explanation. “Remember, though, controversy only makes things ‘hotter.'”

Colin Morikawa won his second major at the British Open 2021, notably beating three other former major winners: Jordan Spieth, Louis Oosthuizen and Jon Rahm. This win came in Morikawa’s first-ever trip to this golf tournament, the oldest tournament in the world.

This major has the oldest average age for a champion over the last decade, but the young Morikawa did not seem phased. Over the last 30 holes, Morikawa capitalized with eight birdies and not a single bogey.

Morikawa is known as one of the best iron players in the world, despite still only being 24 years old. He hit 75% of greens in regulation.

Morikawa never pulled away by a comfortable margin as Spieth was always right behind him. Despite this pressure, Morikawa was able to sink impressive puts on holes 10, 14 and 15 in the final round.

“Everything about my stats say I’m not a good putter statistically. I feel like I can get a lot better. But in these situations, I feel like everything is thrown off the table. Forget about all your stats, who can perform well in these situations. That’s why I think, over the past few majors, you’ve seen a lot of the same names up there because they believe in their game, they know what they’re doing when they practice, and they’re able to bring it out in these big moments,” said Morikawa about his clutch shots on the green.

Spieth commended Morikawa on his ability to handle the big moments. “I think what’s interesting with Collin, too … his other wins had come with little to no crowds … and then some with modified crowds. Then you step into 35,000 and holding a lead down the stretch, I think is really impressive considering that’s not only his first Open Championship, but given the timing of when he’s been out here,” Spieth said. “He spent a year, year and a half of that in essentially a crowd-less environment, and this is harder. It’s harder with big crowds. You feel it more. You know where you are. It’s a bigger stage. I think that’s impressive.”

Morikawa has been remarkably impressive in what is just the mere beginning of his career. Morikawa has reached several milestones such as becoming just the fourth American to win The Open before the age of 25, joining Spieth, Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods. 

Morikawa has received high praise and little criticism. His innocent manner and kid-like enthusiasm have earned him plenty of support. Morikawa’s youth is visible in his aggressive swing and style and he never seems to second guess himself.

Morikawa discussed his immediate pro success: “I think when you make history — and I’m 24 years old — it’s hard to grasp, and it’s hard to really take it in. At 24 years old, it’s so hard to look back at the two short years that I have been a pro and see what I’ve done because I want more. I enjoy these moments and I love it, and I want to teach myself to embrace it a little more, maybe spend a few extra days and sit back and drink out of this jug.”

“I just want more. When you’re in these moments and you truly love what you do, which I love playing golf and competing against these guys, these are the best moments ever because the nerves push you to just be a better person.”

After Rory McIlory’s poor display at Portrush for the British Open, where he failed to display his usual magic in his native country, McIlory improved in the World Golf Championships event.

McIlory failed to win in Memphis however, with Brooks Koepka storming back to bulldoze McIlory’s lead and take home the cup.

Koepka was down one stroke Sunday in the final round with McIlory leading the group. The No. 1 rank in the world shot a 65 in the final round to conquer McIlory’s overall great performance. McIlory’s clear highlight was his Saturday appearance, where he shot a 62. He certainly improved from his disastrous 79 on the opening day in the British Open that Thursday. He opened the entire British Open with a quadruple-bogey.

“Rory didn’t play the way he wanted to today, but still it’s so much fun to watch him play,” Koepka said, according to ESPN.”You kind of get glued watching him hit balls. I mean, it’s mesmerizing watching him hit. You know, it’s always nice to squeak out a victory over probably the best player right now.”

McIlory has climbed the ranks himself, placing No. 3 in the world after a solid PGA season. He was short of conquering the No. 1 player however, who finished second in the Masters at Augusta back in April after losing to Tiger Woods. He then won a PGA Championship and finished second in the US Open at Pebble Beach, just shy of Gary Woodland. Koepka has been dominating the PGA season, winning four majors in his last 10.

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The 148th British Open was capped off this past weekend with Irishman Shane Lowry sweeping the competition and winning with ease.

Lowry finished six strokes ahead of second-place Tommy Fleetwood, but the story on Sunday was JB Holmes‘ infamous and deliberate slow play frustrating fans and his partner in Sunday’s competition, Brooks Koepka.

“J.B. had a rough day. J.B. is a slow player. I know it’s difficult with the wind, but I didn’t think he was that bad today,” Koepka said, according to Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio. “I thought he was all right. There were times where I thought it was slow. There’s a lot of slow guys out here. What I don’t understand is when it’s your turn to hit, your glove is not on, then you start thinking about it, that’s where the problem lies. It’s not that he takes that long. He doesn’t do anything until his turn. That’s the frustrating part. But he’s not the only one that does it out here.”

Koepka has been a known advocate for trying to push the pace for golf’s major tournaments, and the top-ranked golfer had to wait through Holmes’ slow play. To make it even worse, Holmes shot a dreadful 87 strokes on Sunday. Before entering on the final day of the tournament, he was sitting at third place after shooting a 66, 68 and 69 on his first three rounds. He racked up an 87 on the final day and dropped 64 spots in the leaderboards because of it, thus losing around $700,000 and taking home just $25,080 after his Sunday performance.

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“But like I said, it wasn’t that bad today, it really wasn’t. It was slow, but it wasn’t that bad for his usual pace. It was relatively quick for what he usually does,” Koepka told Golfweek.

Koepka somehow stayed composed through Holmes’ slow play, and finished tied in fourth place with Lee Westwood. 

Tiger Woods finishes the second round of the British Open at Portrush, Northern Ireland summing up +6 after his Friday round. He will fail to qualify for the weekend championship, and has to call his time in the U.K. short after starting Thursday short of success. He finished -1 on Friday, but it wasn’t enough momentum to throw himself into the weekend tournament after a poor Thursday first round. Woods says in interviews that his body isn’t cooperating at 43-years-old.

“I’m just not moving as well as I’d like. And unfortunately, you’ve got to be able to move, and especially under these conditions, shape the golf ball. And I didn’t do it,” Woods said, according to FOX News. “I didn’t shape the golf ball at all. Everything was left-to-right. And wasn’t hitting very solidly.”

The three-time Open champion scored a 78 on the opening day in Northern Ireland, shooting 7-over. After his four back surgeries, it doesn’t seem to always comply on the golf course. He racked up a bogey on the fifth, double-bogey on the sixth, then another bogey on the seventh. After his 78 score to round off Thursday, he was placed seventh-to-last on the leaderboards, with favorite Rory McIlory just behind him at a score of 79 on Thursday. McIlory crumbled early on the first tee shot, obtaining a quadruple-bogey.

“Just Father Time and some procedures I’ve had over the time. Just the way it’s going to be,” Woods said, according to FOX News. “One of the reasons why I’m playing less tournaments this year is that I can hopefully prolong my career, and be out here for a little bit longer.”

Woods won the Masters back in the spring, but has failed to live up to his performance at August this year. His body is worn down, as he as only played 10 rounds of golf since his victory at the Masters.

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“I have to be realistic about my expectations and hopefully peaking at the right time,” Woods said, according to FOX News. “I peaked at Augusta well. And hopefully I can peak a few more times this year.”

The 148th British Open started early on Thursday morning in Portrush, Northern Ireland. Rory McIlory, native of Northern Ireland, didn’t start off the way he wanted to, hitting a quadruple-bogey on his first tee-off.

McIlory’s opening drive was struck out of bounds and hit a bystander, cracking the screen of her phone while it was in her pocket.

After hitting the ball out of bounds on his tee-off and acquiring an extra one-stroke, the Irishman re-hit his tee shot into the rough, this time on the left side. With three shots already tallied up, he took his fourth shot and ended up in the rough outside the green. He luckily recovered well, or it would have ended worse for him. He two-putted and finished hole one by computing eight strokes.

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“I’m just treating this like any other Open Championship,” McIlroy said, according to ESPN. “I’ve played well here for the last few years. I’ve played well on this golf course. So I’ve just got to go out and hit the shots and stay in the present. If I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, hopefully by Sunday night that will be good enough.”

McIlroy entered the Open as 8-1 favorites in terms of odds, and immediately moved to 33-1 after his first hole, according to the York Daily. 

Around the other participants in the tournament, Tiger Woods enters the tournament with three Open titles (2000, 2005, 2006), but struggled in the most recent Pebble Beach Tournament in the damp weather. The British Open tends to be relentless in terms of weather, and CBS Sports predicts Woods will struggle to endure this one.

Brooks Koepka has finished in the top-two in six of the last nine Open tournaments he has played in. He is on a hot streak right now in major tournaments. He placed second in the Masters at Augusta, won the PGA Championship and placed second in the U.S. Open at Pebble Peach. According to USA Today, he has a miraculous combined score of 43-under-par in the last six major tournaments. He places as the favorite after McIlory’s tough start in his home country.

John Daly has officially announced his withdrawal from the upcoming British Open after he was denied being able to use a golf cart to travel between holes. According to Daly, he has a cited medical condition, which the R&A declined.

“While I trust the R&A’s decision was made with good intentions, I could not disagree more with their conclusions,” Daly tweeted after finding out about his denial of the cart request. “Just visited my good friend Dr. Jim Bradley yesterday in Pittsburgh. He is the orthopedic surgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He reconfirmed bi-compartmental degenerative arthritis grade 3-4 of my right knee … Fingers crossed I can make it (through) the pain.”

According to ESPN, the R&A, who oversees the British Open, denied his use of a golf cart earlier on Tuesday. Saying that walking to the player’s ball was “an integral part of the Championship.” There has been a repetitive and longstanding policy against the use of golf carts for players on the Royal Portrush Golf Club field. Daly referred to the Americans with Disabilities Act, saying that he could receive a golf cart for the PGA Championships in May when he played at the Bethpage Black. His knee condition limits his ability to walk.

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Daly won the British Open back in 1995, and received an invite to attend this year’s open. According to CBS Sports, Daly has mentioned repetitively his battling with osteoarthritis that could eventually lead to a surgery to replace his knee. He tweeted earlier this week that he was bitten by a spider in England that resulted in a sepsis diagnosis and an infection was spreading.

Along with saying the carts aren’t allowed on the Royal Portrush, the Open’s statement reads, “we must also ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field.”

Jordan Spieth finished with a one-under-par-69 and posted a 72-hole score of 12-under 268 at the 146th British Open in Southport, England, on Sunday for his third major title.

Jordan Spieth NEWS: British Open highlights

The 23-year-old Dallas, Texas, native held a three-stroke lead in the final round of the tournament at Royal Birkdale. By the time he reached hole No. 13 on Sunday, that advantage had disappeared and Spieth — who won both the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 — was tied with playing partner Matt Kuchar at 69.

By that point, Spieth was beginning to feel as concerned as he had felt in the 2016 Masters, where he blew a five-stroke lead in the last nine holes. The young American recorded a bogey on the par-4 13th after hitting a tee shot on the hole that ended up 40 yards to the right of the fairway and landed in high, thick grass, which forced him to take a penalty drop.

Spieth recovered quite nicely from that setback, however:

Spieth almost aced the par-3 14th, and then made one of his most incredible shots of the final round when he sank a 48-footer for an eagle on the par-5 15th to regain his lead over Kuchar by one shot.

The former world number one then sank a 25-foot birdie putt at the par-4 16th after his first drive on that hole landed in the rough. Spieth thus jumped to -11 to retake a two-stroke advantage.

Spieth and Kuchar both missed the fairway on the 17th, although the two players then also rebounded with birdie putts to retain a two-stroke difference before the 18th.

On the final hole, Spieth played it safe with his tee shot. His second stroke preceded a long birdie putt, and after Kuchar’s second shot landed in the bunker, Spieth made a par putt to seal his victory.

Spieth, 23, is now the youngest American to capture the British Open and the youngest champion overall since late Spaniard Seve Ballesteros in 1979. Spieth is also the second-youngest golfer after 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus to secure three different major trophies.  Tiger Woods accomplished this at 24 and Rory McIlroy at 25.

“Closing today was extremely important for the way I look at myself,” said Spieth, who is also the only player to win 11 PGA Tour titles before the age of 24. He is now one PGA Championship title away from becoming the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Nicklaus and Woods.

“Growing up playing golf, I just wanted to be able to play in major championships and compete with the best in the world, and things have happened very quickly,” said Spieth. “And it’s good and bad, because a lot comes with it. And a lot more attention versus just being able to kind of go about your own thing. And I never realized how underrated that was. I wanted to be in this position but then, it becomes harder when it doesn’t go your way. And you’re harder on yourself because you expect so much. Therefore, I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this.”

Zach Johnson, the 2015 British Open champion, was completely stunned by Spieth’s performance on Sunday.

“Words fail me,” Johnson said. “I can’t fathom it. Those are the intangibles, and the things I just don’t understand. I’m not suggesting I can’t do it. He just does it all the time.”

Spieth — who has jumped from third to second in the official world golf rankings behind only Dustin Johnson — is now the favorite to win this year’s 99th PGA Championship, which will begin at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 10. According to Las Vegas SuperBook, Spieth and McIlroy are both favored to win the PGA Championship (and thus also record a career Grand Slam) with 8-1 odds.

SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND – JULY 23: Jordan Spieth of the United States celebrates victory after the winning putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 23, 2017 in Southport, England. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Muirfield Golf Club in East Lothian, Scotland has long been criticized for its men-only membership rule, and lost the opportunity to serve as a venue for the British Open golf tournament as a result.

Scotland’s Muirfield Golf Club Votes to Let Women Become Members

On Tuesday, however, the club voted to admit women for the first time in its 273-year history.

Of all the members of the club, which was founded in 1744, 80.2 percent voted in favor (498 votes for and 123 votes against, two-third majority needed to win the vote) of allowing women as members.

A similar vote was held in 2016. At that time, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the decision to continue to forbid women from being members of the club “simply indefensible.”

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of golf’s governing body R&A, said the club will now be reinstated as an Open venue.

“It is extremely important for us in staging one of the world’s great sporting events that women can become members at all our host clubs,” said Slumbers. “Muirfield is a truly outstanding Open venue and we very much look forward to taking the championship there in future.”

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns and runs Muirfield, had recommended its members update their rules.

Following Tuesday’s vote, Sturgeon tweeted: “Well done, Muirfield — decision to admit women members emphatic and the right one. Look forward to seeing you host the Open again in future.”

The club said it is likely to take at least two years before the first woman joins the club, largely due to the generally long waiting lists for membership.

GULLANE, SCOTLAND – MARCH 14: Henry Fairweather holds a media conference outside Muirfield Golf Club on March 14, 2017 in Gullane, Scotland. Muirfield golf club members have voted to admit women members after the privately owned club voted eighty percent in favour in updating the membership policy. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)