The timing and circumstances around Cameron Smith’s Sunday penalty were bizarre.
Smith woke up on Sunday around +400 to win the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first of three playoff events on the PGA TOUR calendar. The Aussie was two strokes behind leader J.J. Spaun, who was at 13-under par.
Then, about 25 minutes before Smith was set to tee off at TPC Southwind, his tournament outlook changed significantly. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty for an “improper drop” that took place almost 24 hours ago during Saturday’s third round.