Cam Smith's eagle on the 72nd hole was worth much more than a three on the card.(Getty Images)
Cam Smith's eagle on the 72nd hole was worth much more than a three on the card. (Getty Images)

21-year-old Australian Cameron Smith finished the US Open in a tie for fourth at -3, which was by far his best career finish at a major. Smith got to that 3-under number with an eagle on the 72nd hole, thanks to a perfect 3 wood from the fairway on 18. His approach at the Par 5 hit the front of the green and proceeded to ride the slopes of Chamber Bay to within inches of the cup.

That shot was worth a lot for Smith -- much more than just a three on his card. First, it gave him his biggest payday as a pro, netting him approximately $407,000 -- three tied for fourth place, meaning they split the money for fourth through sixth evenly. 

Smith also earned temporary status on the PGA Tour for the rest of the 2015 season. His US Open finish gave him enough Fed Ex Cup points to accept an unlimited number of tournament invites this season. This is huge for a player that has played in nine tournaments this season and made just four cuts.

“I can’t put it into words at the moment, to be honest,” said Smith after his round. “It still hasn’t really sunk in … I just want to sort of sit in the hotel room and let it all absorb.”

Oh, and by making the top four, he automatically gets an invite to next year's US Open and the Masters. Not too shabby for a player whose previous best finish was T-5 at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.