Cameron Smith says the jury’s still out on LIV Golf but he does hope Australia lands a regular international tournament out of the wrestle between the Saudi-backed rival circuit and the PGA Tour.
World No.6 Smith has previously made his stance clear he was not going across to LIV Golf any time soon, stating “the PGA Tour is the pinnacle of golf and that’s where I want to be.”
But like most involved in golf, the Queenslander was watching LIV Golf’s opening 54-hole event via its YouTube stream last week, out of curiosity.
“Yeah we all watched it Thursday morning because I was teeing off late in the afternoon (at the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open in Toronto); it’s too early to decide whether (LIV) is a good product or not,” Smith told Australian Golf Digest on Tuesday at the US Open.
Smith’s fellow Australian Greg Norman is the chief executive of LIV Golf, which is financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. It has signed big name players including Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed. Those players are now banned from the PGA Tour but speculation is rife more PGA Tour stars will defect to the cashed-up league.
When LIV Golf first announced Norman as its chief executive, many hoped he would help Australia land a star-studded global tournament. That has not materialised, at least not from the inaugural series although there is a strong rumour Melbourne is being looked at for an LIV Golf event next season. In this first series, LIV Golf will have eight tournaments boasting $US25 million purses – five of them in the US and one each in England, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
In the meantime, the European Tour, which is now called the DP World Tour and is in partnership with the PGA Tour, announced it would co-sanction the Australian Open this year. The DP World Tour already co-sanctions the Australian PGA Championship.
But Smith echoed comments made by fellow Australian Adam Scott in saying this wasn’t enough. They feel the PGA Tour should have an annual tournament in Australia and hoped that was produced by the new schism in professional golf. With LIV no doubt wanting to spread its reach globally, the PGA Tour could make a strategic move and stage a regular event Down Under.
“It would be nice if our region was looked after in all of this,” Smith said at Brookline. “I think the (2019) Presidents Cup was a great spectacle in Melbourne and I think Aussies want that level of golf more often. Hopefully something happens (in that regard).”
The PGA Tour has staged three Presidents Cups in Australia and recently announced the 2028 and 2040 editions would be held in Melbourne.
Smith’s words carry significant weight on the PGA Tour now he is a five-time winner. Smith was ranked world No.3 as recently as two weeks ago, has won two PGA Tour events this year including its flagship Players Championship and is one of the tour’s most marketable athletes. American fans have warmed to his mullet, laidback attitude and deadly short game.
Meanwhile, the LIV Golf divide has not distracted Smith from his preparations at this week’s US Open at The Country Club at Brookline, outside Boston.
The 28-year-old feels he can contend in another Major having tied third at the Masters in April and been in the mix at the PGA Championship last month. Smith led the recent Memorial Tournament in Ohio after two rounds but slid to a share of 13th before a lacklustre 48th at the Canadian Open.
“The last few weeks have been brutal off the tee; I’ve been steering the driver and not quite trusting where the ball’s going to go,” he said. “The weeks where I’ve played my best golf this year have been when I’ve come from the fairway more often, and a couple of those weeks produced wins (Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and the Players). I need to hit more fairways.
Smith’s best finish at the US Open, considered golf’s toughest test, is a tie fo fourth on his event debut in 2015.
“I feel ready for another US Open,” he said. “My game feels really good; particularly my irons they feel really sharp.
“I love the majors; they bring out the best in me. I love the demand for good play and just the grinding out of good scores. I feel like I’ve had a little bit of success in US Opens before and I feel (The Country Club at Brookline) is a really good venue for me.”
Smith had 11 lipped-out putts at the last Major, the PGA Championship, where he tied 13th. He also burned edges at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial and also in Canada. But Smith said staying patient was key to holing more putts again.
“I just have to keep putting a good stroke on my putts and trust them to drop,” Smith said. “I feel my putting is there, but they’re just not going in the hole. Hopefully my luck changes this week.”
Smith is one of seven Australians at this week’s US Open at The Country Club outside Boston. He is joined by superstar Scott, Marc Leishman, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert, Jed Morgan and Todd Sinnott.
