A to Z of the 150th Open Championship: Cameron Smith's mullet, Rory McIlroy's near miss and Tiger Woods' walk

ByAlex Livie

Published 18/07/2022 at 09:09 GMT

Another Open Championship is in the books, this time the 150th on the Old Course at St Andrews. It was a stunning week, with brilliant golf, moments of controversy, heartache and much more. Read on to see what caught our eye as Cameron Smith overhauled Rory McIlroy on Sunday to win his first major championship.

Cameron Smith produced a birdie blitz on the back nine to overhaul Rory McIlroy and win the 150th Open Championship.

It was a stunning week on the Old Course at St Andrews, with the home of golf serving up a treat.

Talk of the Old Course being obsolete was consigned to the rubbish bin, as it was a stunning test.

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The cream rose to the top, with Smith emerging victorious, but there were bits of controversy - with pace of play a bugbear and LIV Golf questions causing tempers to fray.

But it was the quality of the golf, and the occasion, that won out. Let us take you through the best bits from the 150th Open.

Open Championship A to Z

A is for Australia. Cameron Smith became the fifth Australian, after Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch to win the Open. Smith became the third Australian, after Thompson and Nagle, to win an Open at St Andrews. Both the 100th anniversary Open in 1960 and The 150th Open at St Andrews were won by Australians. Nagle won in 1960.

B is for bunkers. 112 of them to be precise on the Old Course.

C is for Cameron. Cameron Young led after round one, Cameron Smith at the halfway mark. They bounced back to take the first two spots, with Cameron Smith lifting the Claret Jug. And he did it using a Scotty Cameron putter. Well he had to, really.

Cameron Smith: Open champion

Image credit: Getty Images

D is for Duff. Jordan Spieth has always been relatable to weekend golfers, but he reinforced it with a flat duff during his final round.

E is for Eight. Eight birdies fired Cameron Smith to the top of the leaderboard in the final round.

F is for Filippo Celli. The Italian youngster had a week he will never forget as his total of five-under secured him the Silver Medal for low amateur.

G is for Greens. There's no place quite like St Andrews, with its shared greens and huge putting surfaces. Cutting one green would appear to be a full-time job, let alone 18 of them.

H is for the Home of Golf.

I is for Iona Stephen. An absolute star on TV duty. When asked if she could name every bunker on the Old Course, the response was "yes, of course". A few tests were passed and her fellow commentators soon knew they were beaten. And ever the professional, Iona went for the curry rather than the burger in the food court as everyone knows eating a burger on live TV is a messy affair.

J is for Journalists. LIV Golf has given a lot of ammunition for the scribes, and players have bristled at questioning, but journos are doing their job. And if players don't like awkward questions, keep asking them.

K is for Kut. Yes we know it's cut, but for obvious reasons C is already taken. Will Cameron Smith get his mullet cut? He was asked as much at his press conference. The answer was: "I think it's going to stay, mate."

L is for LIV Golf. You can't keep it out of the headlines despite the focus being on the 150th Open. There were testy press conferences, and the champion was asked about it following his win. This story will run and run.

M is for Mark. Mark is Calcavecchia. 33 years after winning the Open at Royal Troon in 1989, Calcavecchia played his final Open Championship. The 62-year-old was given an exemption as the 2020 event was cancelled due to Covid. He shot 20-over, but it did not matter as he got his walk over the Swilcan Bridge and up the 18th - albeit being snubbed for a kiss by his wife.

N is for New Course Record. St Andrews was not brought to its knees, but Cameron Smith's birdie on 18 took his 72 hole score to 268 - one shot fewer than when Tiger Woods won the Open on the Old Course in 2000.

O is for Open. The 150th was a stunner and it was fitting that it took place at the home of golf. Golf is at a crossroads, with the emergence of LIV, but hopefully things will work out and fans are treated to the best in the business testing their skills on the Open's rotation of stunning Links courses. Roll on Royal Liverpool in 2023.

Cameron Smith tops the final leaderboard at the The 150th Open

Image credit: Getty Images

P is for Putter. Cameron Smith's putter was red hot for most of the week, and the stats back that up. He ranked second overall on the greens, with 120 putts over the four rounds. Only Si Woo Kim had fewer, with 119.

Q is for Quick. There were fears the Old Course would be torn apart, but St Andrews' Open course record for 72 holes was only beaten by one shot. There was no wind, but the old girl had the defence of firm and fast fairways and greens. And it made for a brilliant spectacle. The only gripe was around slow play, but things improved after the opening day.

R is for Rory. Rory McIlroy came up just short in a major for the fourth time this year, and his eight-year drought continues. He did little wrong, as Cameron Smith produced golf for the ages. His legion of fans can rest assured that a fifth major win is to come.

S is for Strike Meter. Sky, please consign this gimmick to the dustbin. As Eddie Pepperell said: "If Rory bombing a driver 310 through the air, into the wind, only reaches 80 on the strike meter… I’m calling b******t on the strike meter”.

T is for Tiger. Tiger Woods did not make the cut, but he was moved to tears by the reaction he got walking up 18 on Friday. The hope is he will be back for more Opens, hopefully with a body that will allow him to contend.

Tiger Woods waves to the crowd

Image credit: Getty Images

U is for Under Par. There were fears that St Andrews would be a scoring bloodbath. Smith beat the St Andrews 72-hole course record by a shot and equalled the Open record score, but the course was not obliterated. Cumulatively the field were 182-under for the Championship.

V is for Viktor. Viktor Hovland played superb golf for three days, but he never looked settled in the final group on Sunday. The experience will not be lost on the brilliant Norwegian.

W is for wedge. The wedge of Shane Lowry to be precise. The Irishman is a magician around the greens and he showed why with back-to-back chip-ins for eagle in his third round.

X is for Xander. Keep playing golf, Xander Schauffele, X is never easy.

Y is for Young, Cameron Young is one of top players off the tee on the PGA Tour and he showed why with an exhibition on the Old Course. The rest of his game was rock solid and a breakthrough will come soon.

Z is for Zalatoris. Will Zalatoris, where were you? After finishing sixth at the Masters, second at the US PGA Championship and the US Open, he was on many lists to contend. But he never got going and finished in a tie for 28th.

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