Newly crowned Open Championship winner Cameron Smith has remained tight-lipped when asked about speculation he had signed with LIV Golf.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, the world No.2 was asked about comments made by his fellow Australian on the PGA Tour, Cameron Percy, on Monday. Percy created global headlines by saying, on a Melbourne radio station, that “unfortunately, he’s gone” and Marc Leishman would also join the rebel tour.
Smith was coy on the subject.
“My goal here is to win the FedEx Cup Playoffs. That’s all I’m here for,” he said on Tuesday.
Smith is No.2 on the PGA Tour’s season-long FedEx Cup standings behind Scottie Scheffler and is in a strong position to win the overall series. The winner of the Tour Championship finale in late August is crowned the FedEx Cup champion, which comes a $US18 million prize.
A winner of three PGA Tour events already this year, including the PGA Tour’s flagship Players Championship in March, appeared said it was not up to another tour pro to speak on his behalf.
“If there’s something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV it will come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy,” Smith said. “I’m a man of my word and whenever you guys need to know anything, it’ll be said by me.”
Smith was also asked about a report in London’s The Telegraph that he had already joined the cashed-up rival series for a speculated figure over $US100 million.
“I have no comment to that; I like I said, I’m here to play the FedEx Cup Playoffs,” Smith reiterated. “That’s been my focus for the last week and a half. That’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to win the FedEx Cup Playoffs. And like I said, it will come from me it won’t come from Cameron Percy.”
Rumours have circulated that six-time PGA Tour winner Smith’s LIV Golf announcement would come immediately after the Tour Championship – meaning he would not wait for the Presidents Cup in September. Smith was expected to spearhead the International team as its best player.
But the Brisbane native appeared to pour cold water on the Telegraph‘s claim he would join LIV Golf in time for its Boston event on September 2.
“Absolutely, yeah,” Smith said when asked if he intends to be at the PGA Tour-run Presidents Cup from September 22-25. “That’s that’s something that we’ve been looking forward to for the last three years we had missed a year because of because of COVID. That’s something I look forward to being a part of.”
