Cam Smith outlines his final-round approach as he chases Australian Open win

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Cam Smith has played himself back into form at the Australian Open and is now firmly in the hunt for a win on home soil.

Smith missed the cut at last week’s Australian PGA Championship, struggling through a difficult second round. But he’s found his game again at Royal Melbourne, putting together three strong rounds to climb into contention.

He sits two shots behind leader Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson after rounds of 70, 65, and 66. That scorecard also makes him the top Australian in the field after three days of play.

A win would be significant for Smith, who hasn’t lifted a trophy since joining LIV Golf. His last title came back in 2022.

Speaking after his round, Smith outlined his approach heading into Sunday as he tries to chase down Neergaard-Peterson.

Cam Smith’s plan for winning the Australian Open

Smith seems to be enjoying his return to Royal Melbourne and looks more like the player fans remember. Still, he’s staying cautious, recognising just how tough this course can be.

His approach for the final day is simple: stick to playing smart golf and trust that will put him in position late on.

“I think you’ve just got to play the golf course; I know it sounds very cliched, but there are some golf courses where you can just get out there and hit it at the pin all day to try to shoot eight or nine-under, but it’s not this place.

“If you play the right shots, hopefully you can get yourself into position to win the last few holes.”

Smith has three runner-up finishes already this year. Now back on home soil, he’ll be hoping to finally take that next step and end his wait for another trophy.

Cam Smith explains why he wasn’t fully satisfied with his third round

Even though he’s in the mix for a win, Cam Smith wasn’t entirely pleased with how he played after his third round at Royal Melbourne.

He said: “I just feel like I didn’t have my best stuff out there today. I definitely didn’t feel as comfortable over the ball.

“But just kind of went through the process and hit the right shots, and didn’t really shy away from that. So I was happy I did that. That was probably what I was most impressed with.”

After a clean scorecard on Friday, Saturday brought two bogeys for Smith, leaving him a bit frustrated since he’d be level with Neergaard-Petersen without them.

But five birdies and an eagle still made for a positive round overall, and he’ll be hoping to build on that when play resumes on Sunday morning.