Q. Very close, wasn't it. You must have felt like you had a real chance.
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think that bogey on 12 I hit such a good drive down there to the middle of the fairway to make a pretty soft bogey like that was a bit crappy. Then missed a short putt on the next hole and I knew it was going to be hard work from there to kind of get back in the swing of things and I did my best but it just wasn't good enough.
Q. You had a lot of putts that kind of distance four to six foot all day, were you reading them the same, striking the ball?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I felt like actually -- my putt on 12 was a bad putt, I'll be the first to admit that. But all the other putts, I mean, I hit great putts coming in and only a couple went in. And that's just how it is some days. Some days they all go in and other days they don't. The more I play golf the more I'm realizing it and I definitely deal with it.
Q. Incredible log jam through the back nine there. Obviously you were aware of that going through. What are you telling yourself when you're going to miss those first few putts knowing that you sort of got to make up some ground to get in the medal hunt?
CAMERON SMITH: The goal at the start of the day was to get to 16-under. I felt like that would put me in a really good spot for a medal or a playoff. And, yeah, look I said, on 12 I think I went back to 12-under or something, so I needed four birdies basically in the last six holes and there's definitely some gettable holes there just wasn't to be. There's too many good golfers here not to make those putts and move up the leaderboard.
Q. Did that deflate you a little bit?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, 12 was, I wouldn't say deflating, it was like a step backwards, obviously, but no, I've been playing some really good golf all week and I knew if I kept giving myself chances I could get to that 16-under par and yeah, the putter just kind of let me down.
Q. Do you play differently? Big difference between third place and fourth place, which is unusual, or do you just try to shoot the score?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I mean it's definitely a different week in that there's only three positions you really want to be. If I had walked off the 18th green there in a typical PGA TOUR round and finished fifth or sixth or whatever I finished I would genuinely be pretty happy. It's just a bit of a different feeling and, yeah, obviously a bit bummed.
Q. Talk us through 18. Flared your drive a little bit, found the bunker. That was a tough shot out of the bunker.
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it was a tough shot. Yeah, I hadn't played the 18th hole -- off the tee it didn't suit my eye the whole week and I knew it was going to be a tough ask to make three. I was definitely better in that bunker than I had been in the left rough the whole week, so I just changed my start line a little bit and it just crept in the bunker. And felt like I hit a half decent shot out and it just kind of crawled over the back of the green and that's when I kind of knew it was all said and done.
Q. Obviously talk about the hair. Does it stay now?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, it's here to stay. Weeks like this I want to cut it off because it's so hot and I mean it makes me 10 degrees hotter, I swear. But I just got to get through the U.S. summer I think and it will be sweet.
Q. What was Abe doing fiddling with it there on the tee?
CAMERON SMITH: I don't know, him and his caddie are crackups. They were just playing with it. I said that I washed it last night so they were running their hands through it.
Q. What is the Olympic experience what you thought it would be?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, definitely better. It would have been great to have the crowds out here, especially Japanese crowds, they go nuts for golf, it would have been such a cool experience, but, no, we had a great week, it would have been nice to go and watch some other Aussies in some events, but it's been such a cool week and it's always good to put on the green and gold and represent your country.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports