Cam Smith became arguably one of LIV Golf’s biggest signings in 2022, after the former world No. 2 joined the breakaway league weeks after becoming Open champion
Cam Smith, an Australian, has stated he has “no regrets” about joining LIV Golf and is eager to return to competition in his native nation in 2024.
Smith, who was ranked No. 2 in the world at the time and signed just weeks after winning the 2022 Open to win Champion Golfer of the Year, was quite the catch for the LIV setup. Many were taken aback by the Australian’s decision to switch to Saudi Arabia, as one of the most talented athletes in the world chose not to compete on the PGA Tour.
15 months on, Smith has not looked back, winning three times on the circuit in Bedminster, Chicago and London, as well as raking in a mammoth £23.4 million in prize money in that time.
Having completed his first full season with the breakaway circuit – coming second in the individual season standings -Smith is more than happy with the decision he has made. “Yeah, mate, I’m ecstatic. There’s definitely no regret here,” he told ABC Sport.
In 2023, the LIV setup was very successful in Australia, the home country of Smith, a country that has recently been lacking in top-tier professional golf players. In what proved to be a historic week for the league, Greg Norman, seeing an opening in the market, took the Saudi-backed series to Adelaide.
The Adelaide tournament is the first to be confirmed by LIV for their second full season, and the event’s success has ensured that it has been added to the schedule again for 2024. Smith is one man who is eager to go back to his native nation.
“I think for me having an event in Adelaide this year and we’re going back there next year,” he added. “You know, that was so much fun. It was fun to play in front of the home crowd and it’s also really nice to have an off-season at home in Australia as well. It’s something I haven’t been able to do for a long time. So, no complaints here.
“I think naturally, being Australian, we’re kind of world travellers anyway, you know, we’re so far away from everything. And those 7 or 8 years on the PGA tour were really nice. Very easy to get around, but I did miss the international travel. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed, travelling the world and seeing different cultures, seeing different golf courses.
“I think we’ve done a really good job of that and going forward I think we’ll do a bit more of that.” The Australian contingency within the LIV setup is a strong one, with both CEO Norman and Smith notable Aussie-born names, as well as Smith’s Ripper GC teammates.
The biggest key to their success in Adelaide in April appeared to be the popular ‘Watering Hole’ which delivered a party atmosphere to the par-three 12th at The Grange. Keen to make this bigger and better in 2024, Norman told Australian Golf Digest: “I think the success of the Watering Hole could be expanded because of the popularity of it.
“I believe you can draw in more onlookers there… LIV Adelaide served as the standard by which the remaining 13 events worldwide were measured. Because of this, LIV’s authentic culture—which encompasses energy, lifestyle, and the incorporation of entertainment fandom—was established. Adelaide was the one who stepped up to the plate despite all of that being there.”