[Photo: Jacob King/PA / Getty Images]
Travis Smyth has been drafted into the all-Australian Ripper GC line-up for this week’s LIV Golf UK at JCB Golf & Country Club, replacing Elvis Smylie as he continues his recovery from a rib injury.
Smylie’s debut LIV Golf season, which began in fairytale fashion with victory in Riyadh, has hit an unfortunate setback after he was forced to withdraw from last week’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Acting on the advice of his medical team, Smylie is taking an extended break from competition to rehabilitate the persistent injury, ruling him out of this week’s event.
Smyth was one of seven Australians to tee it up at the final men’s major of the year after earning his place through winning the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, while Ripper GC teammates Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert were also in the field.
While Smyth and 2022 Open champion Smith missed the cut, Herbert produced a stunning second-round 62 to equal the lowest round in major championship history on his way to a career-best major finish of tied sixth.
The trio now make the short trip from Liverpool to Staffordshire, where they will join Marc Leishman as Ripper GC pursues a third team victory after winning the opening two events of the LIV Golf season.
Smyth’s Order of Merit triumph was highlighted by victory at the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship, before he carried that form onto the Asian Tour with a win at the International Series Japan.
The 31-year-old has since become a familiar face on LIV Golf this year. After making his first appearance as a Wild Card in Mexico, Smyth has served as a reserve for the Korean Golf Club in Virginia before consecutive starts for Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC in Korea and Andalucía, helping the team to victory in Korea where he finished T8.
This week’s LIV Golf UK will be Smyth’s fourth consecutive appearance.
Having already secured DP World Tour status through his Order of Merit win, Smyth said earning a full-time LIV Golf contract remains his primary ambition.
“If the LIV Tour is around next year and I can qualify myself for that, that would be priority number one,” Smyth said.
“Through winning the Order of Merit, I get that amazing opportunity to get a DP World Tour card, and obviously the goal would be to win and keep my card for the following year.
“It leaves me with so many options to play all over the world. I’m in a really unique position where I can kind of really pick a great schedule and play events that I really want to play.
“If LIV stays around, that’s my main focus. I want to get on LIV full time.”
LIV Golf UK tees off Thursday, July 23 at JCB Golf & Country Club.
