After joining the breakaway league a few weeks after winning the Open, Cam Smith—who was previously ranked No. 2 in the world—became one of LIV Golf’s most significant additions in 2022.
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.
After 15 months, Smith has not looked back, taking home a staggering £23.4 million in prize money in addition to winning three times in Bedminster, Chicago, and London.
Smith is more than satisfied with his choice after finishing second in the individual season standings during his first full season on the breakaway circuit. Yes, buddy, I’m overjoyed. Here, there’s unquestionably no regret,” he said to 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 believe that I am hosting an event in Adelaide this year, and we plan to return there the following year,” he continued. You know, I had a great time with that. Playing in front of the Australian audience was enjoyable, and having an off-season at home in Australia is a great idea as well. I haven’t been able to accomplish it in a very long time. Thus, I have no complaints.
“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 main factor contributing to their success in Adelaide in April seemed to be the well-liked ‘Watering Hole,’ which made the par-three 12th hole at The Grange feel like a party. “I think the success of the Watering Hole could be expanded because of its popularity,” Norman told Australian Golf Digest, expressing his desire to make this even bigger and better in 2024.
“I think you can get more spectators around there… We used LIV Adelaide as the benchmark for all our other 13 events around the world. Because it created the true culture of what LIV is all about: the energy, the lifestyle, the integration of entertainment fandom. All that stuff was there and Adelaide was the one that stepped up to it.”
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