Northern Trust 2021: Cam Smith Shoots Course-Record 60, Tied for Lead with Rahm

Cameron Smith rode a history-making performance to the top of the leaderboard with three rounds of the Northern Trust in the books.

Smith shot an 11-under 60 on Saturday at Liberty National Golf Club, setting a course record in the process.

At 16 under, Smith is tied for first with Jon Rahm. Erik van Rooyen is in third at 15 under.

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Northern Trust Leaderboard—Third Round

T1. Cameron Smith (-16)

T1. Jon Rahm (-16)

3. Erik van Rooyen (-15)

T4. Justin Thomas (-14)

T4. Tony Finau (-14)

T6. Shane Lowry (-13)

T6. Viktor Hovland (-13)

T6. Tom Hoge (-13)

T9. Corey Conners (-12)

T9. Harold Varner III (-12)

Full leaderboard available at PGATour.com

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The 28-year-old Australian got off to a blistering start, moving to five under through his first six holes. He closed out the front nine with a birdie on No. 9 and birdied No. 10 after making the turn.

With four more birdies between Nos. 13 and 17, a sub-60 round—a feat only done 12 times before—was on the table as Smith approached the 18th tee. Scottie Scheffler was responsible for one of the 12 in last year's Northern Trust, and Dustin Johnson was one stroke away from matching him in the same round.

Smith got onto the green in two and needed to sink a 12-foot birdie putt to enter into rarefied air. Unfortunately, he had to settle for a par after his putt rolled past the cup.

After finishing his round, Smith didn't focus on the final hole and instead rued his missed birdie putt on the 15th hole.

"It was a really good look," he said. "It was kind of straight up the hill, [and] I hit a good putt. It just kind of wobbled a little bit up the hill. Probably didn’t give it enough speed."

Because he teed off at 11:05 a.m. ET, Smith had to watch the other top contenders from the clubhouse and hope his overall score would hold up.

Rahm led Tony Finau by one shot through 36 holes. He was four under for the round heading into the back nine and looked poised to retain sole possession of first when the day concluded.

The U.S. Open champion then birdied No. 11 before encountering a big setback on No. 13. His second shot landed in the water, short of the green. After taking the one-shot penalty, he hooked his approach badly into the thick stuff. He eventually double-bogeyed the hole, which dropped him into second.

Rahm rebounded with a birdie on the 15th hole before giving the stroke right back with a bogey on No. 16. He still had an opportunity to supplant Smith atop the leaderboard after he got to 16 under with one hole to play.

Rahm's par on the 18th hole could have implications that extend beyond Saturday.

The PGA Tour preemptively postponed the final round of the tournament with Hurricane Henri heading toward the Northeast. As a result, action will resume no earlier than 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

The inclement weather that could hit Jersey City, New Jersey, raises obvious questions about whether the Northern Trust will be completed.

Rather than potentially being declared a victor after 54 holes, Rahm might be looking at a playoff with Smith in the event the storm rules out a full final round.