“He matched great ball-striking with extraordinary putting. It was just one of the greatest examples of great nerve from start to finish that I’ve seen.” – Brandel Chamblee on THE PLAYERS Champion Cameron Smith
“At the start of the week, I alluded to the fact that it was going to take some sort of mental giant to win this tournament, it turns out that Cam Smith is the giant of the week.” – Paul Azinger on Smith
“What was really impressive is his competitiveness…A very earning winner.” – Paul McGinley on Smith
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 14, 2022 – Cameron Smith (-13) won THE PLAYERS Championship after shooting a final round 66, as NBC Sports concluded its comprehensive coverage of the 2022 edition of THE PLAYERS Championship today on GOLF Channel and Peacock, with coverage of the third and final rounds from The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Live From THE PLAYERS immediately followed post-round coverage on GOLF Channel and Peacock.
THE PLAYERS Championship – Final Leaderboard
| Player | Total |
| Cameron Smith | -13 |
| Anirban Lahiri | -12 |
| Paul Casey | -11 |
| Kevin Kisner | -10 |
| Keegan Bradley | -9 |
On Cameron Smith (13-under, champion)
Smith to Kathryn Tappen on the victory: “It’s huge. Going to take a while to sink in. It’s cool being here in Jacksonville, I live here now and call this place home. I had a lot of fans out there rooting for me today and (it) was so good of the fans to come out today on Monday and give it their all.”
Brandel Chamblee: “This is the best anybody’s ever putted here in the history of THE PLAYERS Championship...he matched great ball-striking with extraordinary putting. It was just one of the greatest examples of great nerve from start to finish that I’ve seen...what he did this week, and it wasn’t just the putting, it was the display of clutch shots.”
Paul Azinger: “This was a brutal week from the very beginning. At the start of the week, I alluded to the fact that it was going to take some sort of mental giant to win this tournament, it turns out that Cam Smith is the giant of the week, and Anirban Lahiri also played really incredible. For a guy ranked no. 322 in the world to do what he did, holy cow.”
Paul McGinley on Smith and his ability to perform under pressure: “There’s a skill in being a competitor. It’s not something that you’re just born with. You can cut your teeth and learn how to be a competitor...as all of this technology comes out and the equipment gets so good, what it does is it brings the guys close together. They’re all so good...the most interesting thing to highlight this week is what’s going to get a guy out ahead and what gets out is strategy, it’s heart, it’s poise and it’s those things internally that we don’t see. It’s not on a computer - as much as it’s important...there’s too much focus on being perfect and there’s not enough focus on being a raw competitor...before we went out today, Smith was the guy that a lot us would have highlighted...he has proved this on a number of occasions and he proved it again today.”
McGinley: “There was some great iron play…what was really impressive is his competitiveness…I love the bobbing and weaving…A very earning winner.”
Azinger: “It’s great to watch someone perform under pressure and not fold up shop. Cam Smith has put on a clinic.”
Dan Hicks: “What is it about these easy-going Aussies that seem to handle the pressure of this Championship? Now five different players from down under (have won).”
Azinger on Smith’s final round putting: “That’s incredible when you consider what must be going through his mind with a chance to win the TOUR’s biggest event.”
Justin Leonard: “Absolutely unflappable…Like he’s just out here on a regular Monday. Oh wait, today is Monday.”
Hicks on Smith’s tee shot on 17: “Rickie Fowler-esque.”
Azinger on Smith’s second shot into the water on 18: “What a shock that is. Didn’t expect to see him hit it that hard…really so unnecessary. What a bad decision that was.”
David Feherty on Cameron Smith’s tee shot on 16: “That is a quacker. A duck hook. The plot just thickened.”
On Anirban Lahiri (12-under, second place)
Chamblee: “His turnaround this week is as extraordinary as the week on the greens that Cameron Smith had. He came in here dead last in strokes gained approach and he said earlier in the week that he sort of found the magic by adding weight to his golf clubs...I don’t know that I’ve seen a transformation like that.”
Chamblee: “Anirban Lahiri did something today that has not been done since 2006. He was in the final group, tied for the lead and broke 70. The last time that happened here was when Stephen Ames shot a 67 in 2006 and won going away...he’s got nothing to hang his head on. He simply went out there and played great, but someone else played better.”
McGinley: “It wasn’t to be…the heat of battle exposes where your weaknesses are and he hit a number of weak approach shots today…he showed a lot of heart and stayed in the fight…just didn’t have enough game tee-to-green today.”
--NBC SPORTS--