Cameron Smith falls victim to dreaded 12th-hole Masters meltdown

Cameron Smith was the only golfer with a real shot to challenge 54-hole leader Scottie Scheffler heading into the final round of the Masters, but the Aussie saw his championship hopes evaporate the same way so many have before him — on the 12th tee.

Smith had a huge birdie at the 11th to cut Scheffler’s deficit to three shots. His very next shot was a disaster, however. The 28-year-old put his tee ball in the water on 12 and ended up with a triple-bogey.

Smith may not have been able to catch Scheffler anyway. Scheffler is the top-ranked golfer in the world and has had an incredible season. Even when he looked like he was in trouble during the final round, he managed to pull off one of the most amazing shots of the tournament.

The 12th hole at Augusta National has always been a place where dreams are made and shattered. Several players who were at or near the top of the leaderboard in 2019 did the same thing as Smith, which allowed Tiger Woods to capture his fifth green jacket. The following year, it was Tiger who posted the worst single-hole score of his career on that very same 12th. Jordan Spieth’s infamous 2016 Masters collapse also began there.

Surviving Amen Corner during the final round of the Masters is one of the toughest tasks in golf. Smith has officially joined a long list of players who learned that the hard way.

Photo: January 14, 2022; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Cameron Smith acknowledges the crowd after making his putt on the 10th hole during the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf tournament at Waialae Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports