Elvis Smylie holds off Cameron Smith challenge to win BMW Australian PGA Championship

Elvis Smylie collected his first DP World Tour title, and left his own golfing idol Cameron Smith in second place, as he won the BMW Australian PGA Championship.

Australia’s Smylie was one of two players to receive the Cameron Smith Scholarship in 2019 and the pair shared the second-round lead at the 54-hole tournament heading into Sunday.

The world No 736, the son of former four-time grand slam tennis doubles champion Liz Smylie, only secured his first professional win on the PGA Tour of Australasia last month, but he showed nerves of steel to overcome a tricky back nine at Royal Queensland.

Smylie carded four birdies to reach the turn with a three-shot lead, but needed several par saves to keep his nose ahead before Smith mounted late pressure.

The 150th Open champion birdied the 15th and holed out for another at the 17th to trim the lead to two, but Smylie salvaged another par at the last to seal a two-shot triumph at 14 under.

“It’s a dream come true,” Smylie said. “I just said to Matt [Clayton, his caddie] that I won’t forget this day, you know, playing with Cam and Leish [Marc Leishman] there.

“I looked up to these guys since I was a kid and just being in their presence and to compete against them for the title, I’ve learnt so much and just so grateful and so honoured right now.

“My short game was great, I definitely saved myself in that department. I was pretty average off the tee, but golf is a game of imperfection and today that was a sign of that.

“I just told myself to find a way of getting it around and doing my best, executing every shot as well as I can and my short game was great, so I gave that the full credit that it deserves.

“My mum and dad have been with me every step of the way. I saw my mum in the corner there, tearing up before I holed that last putt so everyone who has been on this journey with me, they know how hard I’ve worked to be here and hopefully this is just the start of good things to come.”

Leishman completed an all-Australian final group, but his challenge never materialised as his playing partners opened with a birdie.

The 22-year-old rolled in another at second to take the initiative as Smith carded a colourful front nine of three gains and four bogeys.

Smith, a three-time winner of this event, carded his second bogey at the sixth, the same hole Smylie birdied to stretch his advantage to two.

The pair birdied the seventh as Smylie climbed to 14 under – a score he would remain on for the rest of the tournament – before Smith bogeyed the ninth to sit three behind the leader.

Smith’s late charge cut the deficit to two and Smylie then found trouble off the tee at the last.

He hooked his second shot around a tree and into the greenside bunker, but he scooped out to three feet and tapped in for par to complete a flawless final round of 67 and lift the first DP World Tour title of the 2025 season.

Leishman was in a tie for third at 11 under with Anthony Quayle, who rolled in a 110-foot birdie putt at the last to sign for a blemish-free 63.

Former world No 1 Jason Day was among seven players to finish in a share of eighth at eight under.