Cam Smith fumbles £3.1 million LIV Golf payout after playoff heartbreak in Hong Kong
Cam Smith fought his way into contention to win LIV Hong Kong on Sunday, but the former Open champion missed out in agonising fashion, losing to Abraham Ancer in a playoff
Cam Smith’s wait for a LIV Golf victory in 2024 has continued, after the former Champion Golfer of The Year agonisingly missed out in a three-man playoff at LIV Hong Kong on Sunday.
Smith made a strong comeback on Sunday by shooting a four-under-par round without any bogeys at Hong Kong Golf Club. This performance allowed the Ripper GC captain to qualify for the playoff after the regular play ended, along with the leader overnight, Abraham Ancer, and Paul Casey, who secured a chance at the title by successfully holing out from
the bunker on his last hole of the day. Smith had proven his skills on the course before, having come in second place at the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open in the previous November.
Sadly for the Australian star his outing this week proved to be another near-miss following the additional hole. Stood on the 18th tee for a second time, Smith began the playoff with a solid tee shot down the left, leaving him a nice angle into the green away from the water hazard to the right of the putting surface.
What came next though was far from from the ex-Open champion’s best, as he under-hit his approach into the bunker at the front of the green. A wedge shot and two putts followed, to ensure Smith ended the playoff hole with a frustrating bogey. Ancer meanwhile found his form at the right time, birdieing the 18th in style to win his first LIV Golf title.
The Ripper GC captain experienced a disappointing end, but it signaled progress leading up to the Masters next month.
Smith has been unable to match his performance from his debut season with LIV in 2023, starting off with finishes of 10th, 20th, and 43rd in Mexico, Las Vegas, and Jeddah.
After moving to Saudi Arabia in 2022, the ex-world No. 2 has become one of the top performers in the breakaway league, winning three LIV titles.
It’s no surprise that the 30-year-old has been among the highest earners while competing on the Saudi-funded circuit. Smith has earned almost £25 million in tournament winnings from 22 events.
Despite missing out on an opportunity to win an additional £3.1 million last Sunday after losing to Ancer, the former PGA Tour star displayed good form. He will be happy about his performance as he aims for his first green jacket at Augusta National in April.
