Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen Wins 2025 Australian Open Over Cameron Smith

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen won the 2025 Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, finishing at 15-under 269 and beating Cameron Smith by one shot. Si Woo Kim finished solo third at 13-under, while Adam Scott was fifth and Min Woo Lee finished T14.

The Danish winner held off a group that included several experienced International Team players. Smith took the challenge to the final hole, while Kim and Scott finished close enough to give the home crowd contenders to follow throughout Sunday.

The Final Hole

The final round turned on the 18th. Sky Sports reported that Neergaard-Petersen missed the green in regulation but saved par, while Smith bogeyed the final hole to fall one shot short. Golf News Net's final leaderboard lists Neergaard-Petersen at 67-66-66-70 and Smith at 70-65-66-69.

The result was Neergaard-Petersen's first DP World Tour title, and it came at one of the strongest national opens outside the United States. Royal Melbourne also gave the week extra value because it is one of golf's best strategic venues, rewarding angles, approach control, and patience rather than only raw power.

Cameron Smith's Presidents Cup Relevance

For the International Team, Smith's runner-up finish is the biggest roster note. His LIV Golf status complicates week-to-week comparison with PGA TOUR players, and captains still need current evidence when deciding how much weight to place on his past achievements.

Royal Melbourne supplied some of that evidence. Smith was in the final group, reached the final hole tied for the lead, and came within one par of forcing a different ending. The missed chance hurts, but the performance still suggests he can contend against a field with recognizable international names.

The right conclusion is measured. Smith did not win, and a single runner-up finish should not erase every question about form or competitive rhythm. But it is a meaningful data point for Ogilvy because the International Team's ceiling rises if Smith is genuinely sharp enough to be considered.

Si Woo Kim's Quiet Value

Si Woo Kim's solo third is also important. He finished two shots behind the winner and ahead of several Australian names whose results naturally draw more local attention. Kim is already a known Presidents Cup personality, but Medinah selection will depend on form as much as reputation.

This was a useful result because it came away from the PGA TOUR's usual U.S. schedule and on a course that rewards more than a hot putter. Kim's creativity and shotmaking have always made him dangerous in match play. A high finish at Royal Melbourne supports the idea that he can still be part of Ogilvy's active planning.

Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee

Adam Scott's fifth-place finish keeps him in the broader veteran conversation, though age and schedule will shape how realistic a 2026 playing role becomes. Min Woo Lee's T14 should not be inflated. It was respectable, but not the kind of finish that moves him dramatically up a captain's board.

Recent results distinguish current form from reputation.

What Royal Melbourne Tested

The Australian Open is not a Presidents Cup qualifier, but it is relevant to the International Team ecosystem. It featured Smith, Si Woo Kim, Scott, Lee, Rory McIlroy, and other global players at a strategic course. Their results offered a comparison of current form on a course that rewarded placement and shot selection.