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4 things we learned at the 150th Open Championship

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Another major season came to a close Sunday as Cameron Smith propelled himself past Rory McIlroy with an electric comeback to claim the 150th Open Championship.

Smith made five birdies in a row to start his back nine before finishing with another on the 18th to shoot a blistering 30 on the inward half and match the 72-hole scoring record in major championship golf.

Here are four things we learned on an incredible Sunday at St. Andrews.

Nobody putts like Smith

The vast majority of the crowd at St. Andrews cheered for McIlroy to win the Claret Jug on Sunday, but Smith's putter wanted no part of the storybook ending.

Smith had already turned in a putting performance for the ages during his 64 on Friday, pouring in 253 feet worth of putts to set a new PGA TOUR record for a single round.

It was more of the same Sunday for the Australian, as he made 74 feet worth of putts on the back nine alone, including three putts in a row over 10 feet as part of his five-birdie run from holes Nos. 10-15.

However, his best two shots with the putter likely didn't even come from the green. We'll be seeing his putt around the famous Road Hole bunker on the 17th hole Sunday for years, and he sealed the win with a 75-foot putt from off the green to tap-in range on the 18th.

But Smith is more than just a hot putter. After ranking as one of the best approach players on the PGA TOUR this season, Smith constantly set himself up with great looks at birdie as he made his way around the back nine.

His ability to cash in those chances separated him from McIlroy and ultimately decided the tournament.

Rory might be cursed at the majors

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McIlroy's major drought has now reached eight years. It's tough to imagine a more ideal situation for McIlroy than the one he had Sunday, as he held the co-lead with Viktor Hovland and a four-stroke advantage on the rest of the field at a course he's succeeded on throughout his life. Despite everything lining up, it was once again not meant to be for the charismatic Ulsterman.

Given the fact he now has 17 top-10 major finishes since his 2014 PGA Championship victory, one might start wondering if McIlroy is cursed in golf's biggest events. That's especially when you consider that he didn't win despite how well he hit the ball Sunday.

However, McIlroy's putter let him down as the four-time major winner two-putted every single green for a total of 36 on the day. It was a fairly shocking performance given that McIlroy is ninth this season on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained: putting.

The major season, on the whole, was a success for McIlroy as he posted top-10 finishes in each event on the calendar year for the first time in his career.

There's no doubt McIlroy's game is built to contend in golf's biggest events, but it's starting to feel a bit like that fifth major just isn't going to come for one of golf's most popular stars.

The Old Course is undefeated

There's a reason the Old Course has long been the favorite of Tiger Woods.

While other majors may obsess over what the winning total will be, the Royal and Ancient sets the course up how it wants and lets the weather dictate the scoring. While previous opens have been very wet and windy, this event at the Old Course was highlighted by some of the firmest and fastest conditions we've ever seen. Even with modern equipment stretching the historic setup to its maximum, it still shone brightly throughout the 150th Open.

A number of par 4s were drivable for the longest hitters, and almost everybody in the field could reach both the par 5s. That situation benefitted Smith, who tied the lowest 72-hole score in the history of major championship golf.

Cameron Young's 19-under would've been good enough to win or force a playoff at every other Open Championship except for Henrik Stenson's victory at Royal Troon in 2016.

While the scoring total may have resembled a regular PGA TOUR event, the manner in which it was achieved was significantly different. Balls didn't just stop as soon as they hit the ground. Once they got running at St. Andrews, they could end up in a number of different places, which was incredibly compelling to watch.

Cameron Young is going to be a star

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It's a good time to be a Cameron in professional golf. Smith may hold that Claret Jug, but Young can walk away from his first Open Championship with his head held high.

Thanks to an incredible eagle on the closing hole, Young jumped McIlroy and grabbed second to win an extra $522,000.

The long-hitting New York native is a star in the making. He's joined an incredible list of young American talent during his rookie season thanks to his top-five finishes at both the PGA Championship and The Open.

While his all-around game may need some tinkering, there's no doubt Young can drive and putt with the best out there. He ranks fourth on TOUR in average clubhead speed at almost 124 mph while placing sixth in one-putt percentage.

That combo will work brilliantly at almost any venue he sees in professional golf and ensure his excellent debut campaign won't be a fluke.

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