On Sunday, Cameron Smith entered the practice field around noon but was told it was closed.
No matter who you are, if you need to erase the memory of the worst week of your career, you can’t do it now. I’ll come back later.
The former British Open champion has survived well. He was informed that this was for safety reasons, as there were (very few) fans walking the first hole next to the shooting range during the tournament.
How bad did they think he hit them?
Instead, Smith went to the nearby chipping area and picked up some loose balls so he could deal with them.
As the Royal Queensland gallery roamed alongside Minu Lee and Adam Scott on the final day of the Australian PGA Championship, Smith’s invisible moments were equally fascinating.
This week’s Australian Open has some interesting storylines that you could never have imagined. Can Smith bounce back from the worst week of his pro career?
Every golfer has bad days and weeks.
Some people have bad months and years. But Australian golf fans had never seen Smith play so poorly and react so emotionally.
He told reporters Friday after winning the second round with a 7-over 78.
So, although he missed the cut by an incredible nine strokes and was 21 strokes behind the 36-hole leader Min Woo Lee, Smith has shown he’s on par with your resume and money. It is unlikely that you will become the next professional golfer, regardless of the amount of.
LIV golfers, led by Greg Norman, are being reprimanded in some quarters for spending an exorbitant amount of money to switch to the Rebel Tour. The Rebel Tour has been described by its harshest critics as a guaranteed-pay exhibition golf game where golfers don’t have to worry too much about their results.
But just a few minutes later, Smith showed he was still proud of his performance – in the least lucrative event he has competed in this year. That can’t be bad for his image.
For years, Smith’s personality has been exaggerated by fans, perhaps because he likes to portray himself as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
They love mullets. Bora loves waking up at midnight on American nights to watch rugby. We’re dying to blast through the streets of Brisbane with a V8 engine.
And I love that they tell you exactly how many beers fit in a mullet. Claret Mug or Joe Kirkwood Cup.
They love him because he can live next door.
But what if we learn about another side of Smith?
Its success is based on careful preparation for each event. The reason why he broke down in tears in front of reporters after failing to qualify may have something to do with the realization that he left a lot of stone unfinished before the Australian PGA Championship.
Smith and a small crew spent several days fishing Great Barrier His Reef after former world No. 2 Smith finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Open. He fell behind in the first few holes of the tournament and never recovered, so he went right back to work over the weekend.
About 50 people watched him on the putting green Sunday. His coach, Grant Field, placed the golf ball neatly in a circle around the hole, about 6 feet from the target.
Smith continued to prepare each putt as if it were a Masters-winning putt. He made some, missed some, and cursed at least one person who shaved a hole.
At the end of it all, he signed autographs and smiled for selfies from every fan who wanted one. No request was refused. It made him a little late getting to the range. Nothing is going to be easy about this week.
Maybe we’re about to learn about a whole new side to Cameron Smith.