Watch As Cameron Smith Benefits From Perfectly-Placed Sprinkler Head During LIV Golf Jeddah

Cameron Smith might be able to label himself as the luckiest man in the field this week after receiving a monumental slice of good fortune while playing in the final round of LIV Golf Jeddah on Sunday.

The Australian began the final day of action knowing he had to start forcing the issue in an attempt to improve both his own and Ripper GC’s prospects at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia.

Smith’s team was in seventh place after day two, while the 2022 Open champion found himself in a tie for 25th in the individual standings.

Having started on the seventh tee, the Ripper GC captain plundered three birdies in his first six holes to garner some positive early momentum. 

And after sending a drive into the middle of the fairway on the 13th hole, his seventh of the day, Smith was left with 181 yards to the hole and picked up a mid-iron hoping to drop his approach in close and continue on the birdie trail.

But with a menacing coastline of water all the way along the right up to the back of the green, Smith miscued his second shot towards the very right edge of the shortest grass and his ball appeared destined for the drink as he held onto the club with just one hand.

Yet, a stunning twist of fate saw the ball crunch into a sprinkler head in the fringe and cannon onto the green - narrowly missing the hole - and coming to rest only around eight feet from the pin.

Commentating on the incident live as part of LIV Golf’s coverage, a stunned David Feherty said: “It catches a sprinkler head - what a break! That could have so easily gone over the back and into the water, but it just hits [the sprinkler head] and comes straight backwards.”

Smith was unable to convert his fortuitous birdie chance, though, and was forced to settle for par after rolling his putt wide. A double bogey two holes later threatened to pull all of the Australian’s good work apart, but he recovered nicely to record three more birdies and end the tournament in the middle of the pack on six-under.

This year has produced luck for some of the game’s other greats, too, with World No.1 and 2 - Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy - also benefiting from a kind bounce along the way.

In May’s PGA Championship, Scheffler hacked an approach shot out of the rough on the seventh midway through his third round at Oak Hill. It looked certain to end in Allens Creek, but somehow the ball skipped off the water and onto the bank in front.

And in the recent BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on the DP World Tour, McIlroy thundered a long-range second shot on 18 out of the rough towards the long but thin final green during his penultimate round.

After slightly pulling his approach to the left, McIlroy’s heart was in his mouth as the ball headed for the stream that runs between fairway and the famous finishing green. It failed to touch water, however, and bumped off the top of a post before waving a swift goodbye to the flag and rolling into the back bunker.

Some people have all the luck…