Legendary South African golfer Gary Player has backed Cam Smith to win the Masters at Augusta National this week.
The nine-time Major winner told the Champions Dinner attendees on Tuesday night he has a wager on the mulleted Queenslander to don the green jacket.
Three-time Masters winner, Player, said on Thursday that world No.6 Smith’s win at the Players Championship last month convinced him to put a wager on for Augusta. The bet was looking good after Smith shot a four-under-par 68 to sit one behind first-round leader Sungjae Im (67).
“You know, I went to Australia at least 30 times, and I loved Australia very much. I miss it dearly,” Player said on Thursday. “Australia produces so many good players. Funny enough, we were having a little bet on who’d win the tournament down there and I picked Cameron.”
Player said Smith’s putting, which ranks third on the PGA Tour, was why he had finished in the top 10 at the Masters three out of the past four editions.
“This guy can really putt,” Player said. “There’s so much said about long hitting. Long hitting is an asset, but it’s not a necessity. What wins golf tournaments is the mind and putting, and this guy … he’s cocky, he’s confident, which you’ve got to be, and he’s one heck of a putting (stroke).
“He’ll be in there with a good chance to win, and that would be very nice to see.”
Player joked about the image of Smith’s mullet hanging over a green jacket if he were to win at Augusta National.
“I’d love to see how he’s (looked at) with that long hair in the clubhouse,” Player said with a laugh. “They might tell him to have a haircut. No, no, I’m just pulling his leg (joking). If he’s happy doing it, he said his girlfriend is very happy. But it was a wonderful win. Australia, as I say, without being repetitive, has been quite a golfing nation.”
Six-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus said he didn’t want Smith to win the Players Championship last month but only because India’s Anirban Lahiri, who finished runner-up, had a chance to win and showcase golf to the 1.4 billion people in his homeland.
“Anirban Lahiri is a member at the Bear’s Club (in Florida), and I see Anirban quite often,” 18-time Major winner Nicklaus said. “What a nice young man. Handles himself beautifully, polite, good player. Nothing against Cameron Smith, but when they were coming down the stretch, because I knew Anirban well, I was really rooting (for Lahiri) because I thought he would really help the game of golf in his country.”
Meanwhile, Min Woo Lee and Marc Leishman were the next best of the Australians at one over (73). 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott and Lucas Herbert were two over (74). Cam Davis (75) rounded out the Australian contingent.
