The foundations of Elvis Smylie’s victory at the Australian PGA Championship were planted five years before he stared down his idol Cam Smith in the final group at Royal Queensland, back when Hurricane Dorian battered greater Jacksonville, Florida, a continent away in 2019.

Smylie, then a promising 17-year-old amateur, was a recipient of Smith’s annual scholarship, which sees two Australian junior golfers receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the United States to spend a week learning from the former Open champion and multiple winner across all golf’s major tours. As winds of 60 miles per hour swept Jacksonville that September week, Smith wasn’t able to take the scholarship winners out to TPC Sawgrass like he normally could.

“A lot of the days we actually spent inside, having putting comps and playing his Formula 1 simulator,” Smylie, now 22, said after a two-shot win over Smith at the Australian PGA, the opening event of the DP World Tour’s 2025 season.

Neither the lefty golfer or Smith likely knew exposure to one of the best putters in professional golf was going to have the impact it did. However, Elvis’ mother, former grand slam tennis doubles champion Liz Smylie, had a hunch. She was mentored by Evonne Goolagong Cawley, an Australian who won seven grand slam singles titles.

“[Smylie] was just buzzing after that trip, and it’s continued since. Cam plays practice rounds with Elvis when he can,” Liz said Sunday. “I know what it was like because I had my hero Evonne [mentor me]. In Perth, after she won her first Wimbledon title in 1971, I was 8 when I had a hit with her and she gave me a tennis racquet. There’s a bond that’s created. Cam gets it.”

On Sunday, those putting competitions in Ponte Vedra paid off when Smylie, who turned pro three years ago, had his long game go missing down the stretch. Smith and Smylie began the Sunday’s final round of the Australian PGA, shortened to 54 holes due to torrential rain, at 10 under and in the final threesome with Smith’s LIV Golf teammate Marc Leishman, who was a shot behind.

Smylie and Smith both birdied No. 1, but Smith made three bogeys on the front nine and a fourth at the par-4 14th. Ironically, it was putting that let Smith down.

“I think it would have been a different story if [I hadn’t] had three bogeys and two of those were three-putts [after hitting] decent shots into those greens,” a frustrated Smith said, searching for his first individual win of 2024.

Meanwhile, Smylie rode a hot flat stick that delivered four birdies in the first seven holes and several long-range par saves during a stretch of 11 straight pars. Smylie’s bogey-free 67 gave him a 14-under 199 total while Smith (69) was solo second at 12 under. Leishman tied third with Anthony Quayle (63) at 11 under.

“I won’t forget this day playing with Cam and Leish,” Smylie said of his $A323,000 win in just his 16th DP World Tour start as a pro. “They are guys I’ve grown up watching on TV guys and have idolized. It was just a dream come true.”

Three-time Australian PGA winner Smith tried to apply late pressure with a fifth birdie of the day at the 15th and another when he chipped in at the par-3 17th to come within two. Smith, despite frustration with his putting, could only laugh that the program he designed helped nurture a sublime talent who’d beat him on a big stage.

“It’s, bittersweet, almost … I didn’t think it would happened this quickly,” Smith joked.

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Cam Smith gives Smylie a congratulatory hug after the up-and-coming Aussie beat him to claim the Australian PGA Championship title on Sunday. PATRICK HAMILTON

Smylie secured almost two seasons of status on the DP World Tour with this maiden win. “It’s life-changing for me and I can’t wait to get started,” he said.

And, according to Smith, it’s a career only just getting started. “You could tell that week [in 2019] that he was a hard worker,” Smith said. “He should enjoy this win but also keep working really hard because he’s got a really [high ceiling].”

Main Image: Chris Hyde