Open champion Cam Smith struggles with Claret Jug on public flight out of St Andrews

Fresh after claiming one of golf’s greatest honours, Cam Smith discovered the life of a major-winner comes with excess baggage. In the most literal sense of the phrase, too, after the 150th Open champion appeared to struggle loading the Claret Jug onto his flight.

Smith wasn’t born when Greg Norman clinched the second of his two Open titles in 1993, bringing some added significance to Sunday’s triumph at St. Andrews. The Brisbane native sat four strokes off the lead heading into the fourth round but completed a late turnaround to pip Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young to the crown.

His $2.5million (£2.1m) winnings in Fife didn’t quite match the $3.6m (£3m) payday he received for winning the Players Championship earlier this year. But Smith courted praise for flying in what appeared to be economy class following the most significant victory of his career to date.

That’s after images of the 28-year-old struggling to cram what appears to be a trophy chest into his overhead compartment did the rounds on Monday. It appeared to be a futile attempt, with the bulky item looking far too hefty to fit in its intended destination.

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