MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen won the Crown Australian Open for his first major professional title Sunday when his scrambled par on the final hole crushed the hopes of hometown favorite Cameron Smith who was chasing his first win in more than two years.

Smith and Neergaard-Petersen came to the 72nd hole tied at 15-under after a thrilling contest over the last nine holes. Neergaard-Petersen shanked his drive into difficult rough on the right with a bunker between his ball and the green.

Smith found the green with his second, but with a long, sloping putt to the hole. Matter of fact, as he has been throughout the week, Neergaard-Petersen got up and down for par while Smith missed his difficult putt for birdie, then a 5-foot return putt to force a playoff.

The 26-year-old Danish player won by a single shot at 15-under 269 after rounds of 67, 66, 66 and 70. Smith started the last round two shots behind the leader, drew level by the turn, and led outright after sinking a 10-foot putt for birdie on the 10th hole.

After a birdie at the 11th, Smith bogeyed the 12th and was level with Neergaard-Petersen at 13-under. The pair stayed locked together until the final hole when Smith's missed par putt, handed his opponent a career-changing victory.

“It’s hard. I’m really at a loss for words. It’s been a battle all day,” Neergaard-Petersen said. “Even from the outside, you can look calm but it was a storm inside (for me) all day.

“But I managed to keep battling and to get it up and down to make that putt on the last. I don’t know what to say, to be honest.”

Smith, winner of The Open Championship in 2022, who ended his streak of missing seven consecutive cuts this year on Friday, shot 66 Saturday and was tied for second, two strokes off the lead.

After all his missed cuts, Smith said that it was “nice being in contention” entering the final round.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had this feeling to be honest,” he said. “I love that it’s the Australian Open. I couldn’t think of a better place to get back into form. It would shut a few people up.”

Smith has won the Australian PGA twice but has yet to win the Stonehaven Cup as the champion of his national open.

His last tournament victory came in Bedminster, New Jersey, in 2023, and his previous top-10 finish was in July.

Rory McIlroy's 11 bogeys over four days, including an unfortunate encounter with a banana peel on Saturday, kept him out of contention. On Sunday, the Northern Irishman had a final round 69, with five birdies and three bogeys, to finish in a tie for 10th.