Cameron Smith became the first player since Robert Allenby in 2001 to successfully defend their Australian PGA title by firing a final-round 70 that held off Marc Leishman by two strokes. Smith was aided by a key up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 15th hole after taking a drop from some signage beside the green.
Smith has made a few changes to his equipment in the past few months, putting Titleist’s latest version of its Pro V1x ball in play at the Australian Open. “I’ll always put it straight in,” Smith told Golf Digest. “I trust what they’re doing with it. After a couple of tournaments I’m always comfortable in knowing what it will do. I’ve been playing the V1x since I was about 15 years old and never changed. I love how it spins around the greens.”
Smtih also put the company’s new TS2 driver and fairway wood in the bag as soon as it came out on tour. “It was spinning a little less, but launching at the same angle as my previous driver so the apex of the flight was a little lower, but I was carrying it farther and getting more run,” he said. Smith has his driver in the D3 adjustable hosel setting which produces a slightly more upright lie angle. As for the fairway wood, Smith went to a slightly shorter shaft earlier in the year to assist with consistency.
As for his wedges, Smith has the names of his three dogs stamped on them, two of which live with his mother in Brisbane and one with himself and his girlfriend in his US home in Jacksonville, Florida. Given the critical pitch shot he made at the 15th, perhaps the friendly names on the back of his wedges provided some inspiration.
What Cameron Smith had in the bag at the Australian PGA Championship:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x 2019
Driver: Titleist TS2 (UST Elements Platinum 6), 9.5 degrees
3-wood: Titleist TS2, 15 degrees
Irons (3): Titleist 718 T-MB; (4-9): Titleist 718 AP2; (PW): Titleist Vokey SM7
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 56 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Futura T5W
