The Open Championship: Emotional Smith hands Claret Jug back to R&A at Royal Liverpool

Cameron Smith has 1 past look astatine the Claret Jug earlier handing it implicit to R&A main enforcement Martin Slumbers

Cameron Smith was "holding backmost tears" arsenic helium handed the Claret Jug backmost to the R&A connected Monday aft arriving astatine Royal Liverpool for the Open Championship.

"I didn't deliberation I'd ever person to springiness it back, it was a bittersweet moment, crept up connected maine a small bit," helium told BBC Sport.

"Once you person thing arsenic large arsenic that you don't privation to fto spell of it."

Smith scorched circular the Old Course successful a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to triumph the 150th Open Championship by 1 changeable from American Cameron Young, with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy successful third.

And the laid backmost 29-year-old joked that helium has been telling his friends: "It'll lone beryllium a week and we'll beryllium drinking retired of [the Claret Jug] again.

"Hopefully it's different week similar past twelvemonth and I'm backmost with the trophy."

Smith, who has been successful England "for a fewer weeks", comes into The Open successful decent form, having won the astir caller LIV Golf lawsuit astatine Centurion Golf Club.

And portion helium says he's inactive arsenic overmuch successful the acheronian arsenic anyone astir however the projected merger betwixt LIV Golf's funders - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund - and the PGA Tour volition develop, he's keen to support his absorption connected the golf.

"LIV aside, I'm determined to effort my champion each week and conscionable effort and beryllium a amended golfer than I was past week," helium said.

"I deliberation arsenic a golfer, I deliberation I'm really a amended golfer present than I was past year.

"But I've ne'er tried excessively overmuch to interest astir what radical thought of maine and I deliberation LIV was truly good received successful Australia.

"They were astir apt the 2 astir important things to me. I deliberation erstwhile I went down to Australia to play the PGA and the Open, astatine the extremity of the twelvemonth determination was nary nationalist benignant of uproar of maine switching tours.

"They were conscionable blessed to spot maine determination playing golf. That was awesome."

Asked if becoming a large champion had changed him successful immoderate way, helium replied with a smile: "I deliberation the idiosyncratic is the same. I deliberation my aged lad would springiness maine a clip astir the ears if I was immoderate different."

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