Australian Open: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen holds nerve to beat home favourite Cameron Smith to title

Dane's Nerve Wins Him Australian Open Title as Smith Falls Short.

In a thrilling finale to the Australian Open, Danish golfer Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen made a clutch putt on the 18th hole to claim his first DP World Tour victory and a one-shot win over Australian favorite Cameron Smith. The tournament, which took place at Royal Melbourne, marked Neergaard-Petersen's first major win.

Neergaard-Petersen held his nerve throughout the final round, despite a scare on the 10th hole where he trailed by a single stroke after a bogey. However, the Dane recovered with birdies on the 12th and 13th holes to retake the lead.

Smith refused to give up, matching Neergaard-Petersen's birdie on the 17th, setting up a tense finale. But it was the Danish golfer who proved too strong, sinking a tricky putt for par on 18 to seal his win.

The victory marked Neergaard-Petersen's first major win and earned him a spot in next year's Masters. The top three finishers at the Australian Open will also receive invitations to the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

In contrast, McIlroy, the world number two, was left disappointed after a disastrous second round where he suffered an embarrassing shot on the course and finished tied for 14th place with 11 bogeys over four days. The Northern Irishman called for better scheduling to attract top overseas players, citing clashes with other tournaments as a major issue.

"It's hard," Neergaard-Petersen said of his win. "I'm really at a loss for words... It's been a battle all day."

so the aussies are just gonna have to settle for another dane on top seriously though, rasmus neergaard-petersen played some clutch golf out there. gotta feel for cameron smith tho, he was giving it his all till the end and btw, what's with mcilroy's scheduling drama? sounds like someone needs to bring their a-game (or at least plan better)

OMG, what a comeback by Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen ! He totally held his nerve and made those clutch putts . I'm so hyped for him, this is his first major win !

Smith was super strong too , but just couldn't quite get over the finish line . And sorry to see McIlroy having a rough day , 11 bogeys is no joke .

I'm loving the excitement of this win and I hope Neergaard-Petersen enjoys his time at Masters next year ! He totally deserves it . Let's see what he does next season !

OH MY GOSH, RASMUS NEERGAARD-PETERSEN IS THE MAN!!! I mean, who would have thought that some Danish dude would come out of nowhere and take down the Aussies at the Aussie Open?! Cameron Smith put up an amazing fight, but I guess you can't win 'em all, right? McIlroy's comments about scheduling though, yeah, let's see how he'd do with a crazy packed schedule...

I'm still in shock that Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen took down Cameron Smith like that! I mean, that guy was the fave to win and Smith was having an epic tournament till the end. What really impressed me was how calm Rasmus stayed under pressure, even when things got crazy on the 10th hole. He's definitely earned his spot at Masters next year - can't wait to see him take on the best of the best! And sorry to say, Rory McIlroy was a bit unlucky with his scheduling, hope he gets it right next time

just think about it... Rasmus won the Aussie Open, huge congrats to him ! but McIlroy is already talking like he's done with golf? 11 bogeys in one round is insane... I feel bad for him, maybe this tournament schedule thingy needs to be looked at? and what's up with his shot on the course tho? still, gotta respect Rasmus for holding it together under pressure . now that he's got a major win under his belt, can't wait to see him crush it next year

OMG I am literally still reeling from that Australian Open finale!!! Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is a total legend for holding his nerve and sinking that clutch putt on 18 ! The way he came from behind and just took it to Smith was insane! And can we talk about how clutch McIlroy was? 11 bogeys in one round?! What. Is. Wrong. With. Him?! Like, I get scheduling issues but a major meltdown like that?! At least Neergaard-Petersen stayed classy and gave credit to Smith for an amazing match... That putt on 18 was EVERYTHING!

omg what just happened?! so rasmus neergaard-petersen wins the aussie open and i'm literally in awe he was so calm under pressure, but also had that one scary moment where he trailed smith by 1 stroke after a bogey. how did he get back on track tho? also, smith was amazing but couldn't quite close it out i feel bad for mcilroy though, his second round was super tough and i don't blame him for calling out the scheduling issues... maybe next year they can make changes to attract more overseas players

OMG!!! congrats to Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen on his 1st major win!!! he played so well under pressure and deserved that title! I'm totally stoked for him can't wait to see what the future holds for this talented Dane

OMG, this Dane is on FIRE ! Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen totally deserved that W ! I mean, he held his nerve like a total pro and never gave up . His clutch putt on the 18th hole was pure magic . And can you believe Cameron Smith couldn't quite take it all home? Not to bash Aussie golf, but this win is a total game-changer ! McIlroy's rant about scheduling is fair play tho... let's get the best players together and see what happens ! Neergaard-Petersen's got the skills, and now he's set for the Masters next year #TheHashtagHeroApproved #GolfingGenius #AustralianOpenWin

The Aussie Open drama is just wild ! I mean, you gotta respect Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen's nerves of steel - the guy held it together when it mattered most, and his clutch putt on 18 was pure magic . Cameron Smith gave him a run for his money, though, that Aussie favorite really put up a fight .

But what's wilder is Rory McIlroy's reaction to his disappointing showing . I mean, the guy's been on top of the world for years, and then BAM! A disastrous second round drops him to 14th place with 11 bogeys over four days . You gotta wonder what went through that head - was he feeling the pressure? Did he get distracted? It's like his game just fell apart, you know?

Anyway, congrats to Rasmus on his first major win! He's definitely earned a spot in next year's Masters , and I'm sure we'll see more of him at top tournaments soon. And as for McIlroy, well... maybe he should take a deep breath, re-group, and come back stronger . After all, it's just one bad week - the world number two can still make a comeback .

OMG I was on the edge of my seat watching that finale, and I gotta say, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen played some crazy clutch golf . That 10th hole scare would've broken most people, but not him! He bounced back with two birdies in a row and never looked back. Cameron Smith was on fire though, and that match-up was so intense . I love how he refused to give up, even when it seemed like the whole tournament was slipping away from him . And poor McIlroy... 11 bogeys is just brutal . Guess you can't win 'em all, but I'm sure he'll be back stronger than ever .

finally, someone takes down Aussie golf dominance!

can you believe how on the edge neergaard-petersen was out there?! he literally had to clutch up on that 18th hole to take the win, and it's crazy that smith even managed to get back in the game after that scare on the 10th hole! i mean, mcilroy's tantrum at the end is pretty relatable tho... who hasn't been there, right? but kudos to neergaard-petersen for staying calm and collecting that major win!