Team golf is having a moment – and there’s no better voice to lead the charge than our own Cam Smith.
The May issue of Australian Golf Digest, on-sale today, dives deep into the rising popularity of the team format, with the 2022 Open champion front and centre on the cover and throughout a compelling new feature titled “This Is Your Captain Speaking.”
In this exclusive by Golf Digest editorial director Max Adler, Smith and his fellow LIV Golf team captains – including Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka – open up like never before about life as travelling groupies, why team sport resonates with the next generation, and how leading his all-Aussie Ripper GC squad has revitalised his passion for the game.
“I think we have the closest team out here,” says Smith. “We’re genuinely four good mates who care about each other and want the best for each other. We have a lot of fun, but we also work really hard.”
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During lulls in the schedule, Smith revealed he organises team camps that are three days of playing and two days of practice, usually in Australia or Florida. All four players (Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones), four caddies, four swing coaches, two physios, the club general manager and Smith’s assistant submit to a schedule overseen by Smith, though in his ear more this year is Tony Meyer, High Performance director at Golf Australia, who Smith just hired.
“There’s more information being shared,” adds Smith. “Nobody is holding things close to their chest. Instead of going to dinner and talking about our families and whatever, the conversation gets very focused on golf. At night I wonder all the time, what can we do to get better as a team?”
Five-time major champion Koepka is the captain of Smash GC (Graeme McDowell, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak) which is the only team without a general manager. That means Koepka exercises control over details great and small.
“I like having my hand in everything. It’s fun learning about other people’s businesses when you play golf with them, and discussing how you might connect.”
Koepka thinks Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL startup simulator league did a good job with its logos and the technology, but is dismissive of any meaningful differences ushered in by teams in the modern pro world. “It’s still a job. If you don’t have enough self-motivation, you won’t be out here long.”
Grab your copy of the May edition of Australian Golf Digest – available in newsagents and digitally from today – and let Smithy and Co. redefine what it means to play for something bigger than yourself.
