In the end, it wasn't quite to be for Cameron Smith at the Crown Australian Open, as he stumbled at the 72nd hole to leave Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen to claim his maiden DP World Tour title.
However, while there will be disappointment for the LIV Golfer in the immediate aftermath of the tournament, there were plenty of positives for the Ripper GC captain to take from the Royal Melbourne event.
The biggest will surely be his return to form following an alarming run that saw him miss all seven cuts this year until this week.
Smith's runner-up finish of 18 under also meant he was the best-performing LIV Golfer at the tournament, finishing four shots better off than the next player from the circuit on the leaderboard, Josele Ballester, who placed tied for sixth.
Carlos Ortiz had been in contention heading into the final round, but he saved his worst for last, carding a three-over 74 to finish T8 alongside Legion XIII golfer Caleb Surratt.
Two more LIV Golfers, Ripper GC teammates Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman, placed T18 on six under, 12 behind Neergaard-Petersen, while Abraham Ancer finished 30th on four under.
Another Australian, LIV Golf reserve Wade Ormsby, placed T35 on three under with Sebastian Munoz in T39 on two under.
Three LIV Golfers, David Puig, who won last week's BMW Australian PGA Championship, Matt Jones and 2023 winner Joaquin Niemann, missed the cut.
The Crown Australian Open wasn't the only DP World Tour event this week, with South Africa’s Nedbank Golf Challenge also taking place.
It started with three LIV Golfers among its field of 66. Tom McKibbin performed the best of them, finishing in a tie for 16th on six under, 11 behind winner Kristoffer Reitan.
Adrian Meronk finished on eight over in 55th, while LIV Golf’s newest recruit, Laurie Canter, withdrew after the first two rounds of the no-cut event on three over.
Final LIV Golf Leaderboard At The Crown Australian Open
- 2nd-14 Cameron Smith
- T6 -10 Josele Ballester
- T8 -9 Carlos Ortiz
- T8 -9 Caleb Surratt
- T18 -6 Lucas Herbert
- T18 -6 Marc Leishman
- T30 -4 Abraham Ancer
- T35 -3 Wade Ormsby*
- T39 -2 Sebastian Munoz
- MC +2 David Puig
- MC +7 Matt Jones
- MC +7 Joaquin Niemann
*Reserve player
Final LIV Golf Leaderboard At The Nedbank Golf Challenge
- T16 -6 Tom McKibbin
- 55th +8 Adrian Meronk
- W/D +3 Laurie Canter
