06 Jul 2021 | Professional golf |
Davis reaches new heights after win
by Dane Heverin
Cam Davis has risen to No. 67 in the world rankings after he won his first-ever PGA Tour event, the Rocket Mortgage Classic, in Detroit yesterday.
Davis, 26, played incredible golf to move deeper inside the top-100 after ending 2020 ranked 229th.
Seemingly out of contention with two holes to play, Davis stormed home.
He made a now famous hole-out bunker shot for eagle on the 17th hole, and a birdie on the 18th, before triumphing on the fifth playoff hole against American Troy Merritt (Chilean Joaquin Niemann bowed out earlier in the playoff).
The remarkable run has granted him a two-year PGA Tour exemption, a guaranteed place in next year’s US Masters and $1.7 million in prize money.
“After I finished I was like ‘wow, this does make the next few years even more exciting’,” Davis said during his six-hour drive to Silvis, Illinois for this week’s John Deere Classic.
The road trip with his caddy and coach was the result of a cancelled flight, which left little time for celebrations.
However, there was plenty of time to reflect time on the magnitude of the win.
“It was an awesome day for Australia,” Davis said of sharing the limelight with compatriots Lucas Herbert, Steph Kyriacou and Louis Dobbelaar.
“It was pretty cool to finish it off.
“I knew Lucas had won before I finished so it was the cherry on top to get over the line.”
Social media blew up following the victories and a video of Davis hitting the ball sweetly left-handed re-surfaced.
Although, he will not be switching sides anytime soon.
“I’ve only played one or two rounds of golf left-handed and anything below a 5-iron I can go okay," he said.
“But anything above that, everyone has to watch out, especially the houses because there’ll be a few broken windows.”