[PHOTO: Getty Images]
Cameron Smith has withdrawn from LIV Golf Miami with Masters week just days away.
The 2022 Open champion came down with food poisoning on Wednesday and was up all night sick. He withdrew from Thursday’s pro-am. The 30-year-old felt good enough to play the first round but struggled around the Trump Doral course in Miami to a 75.
He remained ill on Friday night and decided to withdraw before Saturday’s second round.
Smith will be replaced by LIV Golf reserve, New Zealand’s Ben Campbell. It will be Campbell’s first career LIV round, after he won the 2023 Hong Kong Open by one shot over Smith. He’s currently 11th in International Series order of merit, of which the No.1 spot at the end of the series receives status on LIV Golf.
“Cam will be fine for the Masters, but at the moment the illness has him lacking energy and unfit to play,” said Nic Catterall, the high performance director for Smith’s Ripper GC and Smith’s strength and conditioning coach.
Fans will probably still have some concern for Smith’s Augusta hopes considering it has been a happy hunting ground for the Queenslander and his creative genius in the short game.
Smith tied for second behind Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters during COVID, while he tied for third in 2022 while playing in the final group with eventual winner Scottie Scheffler.
