There were no world ranking points on offer but Cameron Smith saved his best for last in his 2023 homecoming when he and Adam Scott carved up the course at the Cathedral Invitational as the fledgling tournament continued to make an imprint on the summer schedule.
Being staged for just the second time at the Greg Norman-designed Cathedral Lodge course about three hours’ drive from Melbourne, this year’s line-up has three major champions in Smith, Scott and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, and officials are ambitious about the growth of the event.
The presence of Smith’s LIV teammate Marc Leishman and an increasing calibre of female players this year, highlighted by rising stars Grace Kim and Steph Kyriacou, who finished tied for fifth at last weekend’s Australian Open in Sydney, provides extra kudos to the two-round tournament that has $300,000 in prizemoney.
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Chasing a good end to the year and the $100,000 winner’s cheque, Scott took his final-day form from the Open, when he grabbed the lead before an out-of-bounds drive cruelled his chances, to the signature Victorian layout to equal the course record with 10 birdies and a double bogey in an eight-under round of 64.
Smith, who was frustrated after missing the cut at the Australian PGA but improved with 16 birdies across four rounds at the Open mixed with 10 bogeys, lapped up the perfect scoring conditions and the tamer surroundings on Tuesday.
He got in on the birdie action to nail eight and had just a single bogey in his round of seven-under 65 to sit just below Masters champion Scott after the first round.
Ogilvy also turned back the clock with a bogey-free round of six-under 66 to give the tournament an incredible opening-round leaderboard.
Scott, who played in the inaugural event in 2022, has high hopes for the growth of the tournament, which organises hope will become a mainstay on the Australian golfing landscape.
“We certainly shouldn’t be afraid of taking a few chances on things and seeing how it works out,” Scott said.
“We are pretty slow in the golf industry generally to make changes. I have to credit anyone who is willing to take a chance … and I think this is a great chance to let this event grow organically through word of mouth.”
The Cathedral Invitational will conclude on Wednesday.
LEADERBOARD
8-under – Adam Scott
7-under – Cameron Smith
6-under – Geoff Ogilvy, Jeffrey Guan
5-under – Jasper Stubbs (a), Daniel Gale, Gabriela Ruffels