A moment to hang our hats

Golf is too often measured in trophies.

Moments for "non-winners" remain unnoticed in TV highlights and for the millions of fans who are not in the hollow when the magic happens, it drives to the air.

But today at Metropolitan there were 10 special seconds that continued to live much longer, although Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman eventually failed in their search for the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf.

As he closed the runaway Belgians in the alternative battle format, Smith cut his second shot to the fourth and fourth in a right greenside bunker and with holes that were almost empty, the huge gallery felt that Leishman had to make a big fall for the Aussies . to challenge in a realistic way.

The pin prick on the crowd's growing hopes was fast and painful when the Victorian failed to escape a hard lie and left Australia's third in the sand.

Game over, right?

Well, someone forgot to tell Smith.

The young Queenslander, who likes to be anonymous through life, slowly but steadily steps into the conscience of the Australian sports fan because he has roared to the US Open in 2015, especially winning the Zurich Classic on the US PGA Tour and the Australian PGA Championship on home soil last year.

But what happened next was different.

This was a quantum leap.

Smith strode into the sand and with a magical touch of his familiar sand iron, that bubble again with the most unlikely bird of this World Cup blown up again.

Smith was not inclined to histrionics, but did what it was self-evident when the ball seeped into the cup and fell.

He stood with raised arm – a smiling, gritty version of the famous Tommie Smith and John Carlos greeting of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.

And although it will never be so gripping, it could well be a moment that will have long-lasting positive consequences for everyone who has seen it – not to mention the man himself.

Leishman moved past the crowd to the next tee and just shook his head and smiled in equal parts of pleasure, relief and disbelief.

In those few seconds, Smith did just as much as any Aussie golfer since Adam Scott in 2013 to create a hero – someone who could aim the Aussie galleries and juniors.

He played a rattling shot, he switched the crowd, he smiled and acknowledged the mighty roar as he went to the next tee and then went on to ride another big ride on the 15th, as if nothing had happened.

That minute could fade, just like Australia's indictment with the Belgian team of Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry who held the company and the Mexicans, who eventually shared second place.

But no one who saw it will forget it.

Wow. ?? ??????

Australia, ARE NOT YOU DAMAGED ?! #LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/hUcePnUSen

– World Cup golf (@WorldCupofGolf) November 25, 2018

And Smith himself, who at the age of 24 proved himself a great moment specialist, admitted afterwards that it was a moment he would like to repeat.

"That was pretty cool," Smith said after he and Leishman combined a fantastic seven-under-par-65 in the most proven wave format.

"I have not heard a roar in a long time, it was great."

Asked if it would make him want more, Smith, who will probably have three quarters of his Home Wantima Country Club looking at his PGA title defense at Royal Pines this week, is typically of interest.

"Absolutely, I want to be back here next year to play the Presidents Cup and do the same."

Leishman, who was already a legitimate world-class player and was a fan favorite by virtue of his easy-going natural behavior, quickly noticed that the game of the pair – just like their results – would hopefully be enough to forge a unit next year. when Captain Ernie Els chooses his combinations to try to bring the Americans down in nearby Royal Melbourne.

"Great week, I think in the future … it could be pretty good with the Presidents Cup for Melbourne next year," said Leishman.

"It is clear that we would like to have a better one, but you can not win them all and I think we have made ourselves proud."

Smith, clearly pumping with adrenaline, went a bit further.

"I would like to think that it was in Ernie's head earlier," he joked with reporters.

"But yes, this week certainly could not hurt, we had to run, we showed that we can do it as a team and hopefully that is something that Ernie remembers, or, you know, hopefully do not have to remember.

"It was really good."

Yes, that was it, Cam.

Really very good.