Cam Smith teases that he’ll present up at The Gamers and watch from the group after the reigning champion was banned from defending his title following PGA Tour suspension for becoming a member of Saudi-backed LIV Golf
LIV Golf defector Cam Smith will be unable to defend his title on the Gamers championship this weekend after being banned from the PGA Tour however that may not cease him from nonetheless attending.
The Australian was suspended from the PGA Tour after defecting to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf final yr for a reported $140million.
Smith, previously ranked world No. 2, triumphed on the Gamers final yr earlier than occurring to win his first main on the British Open in July.
However he will not be capable of defend his title as he, together with 30 different LIV golfers who performed at TPC Sawgrass final yr, resulting from his ban.
Nonetheless, he joked that he may nonetheless flip as much as watch the occasion with the match is hosted only some minutes drive from the major-winner’s residence in Florida.
LIV Golf defector Cam Smith joked he’ll attend the Gamers this yr after being banned
‘I’m a little bit it uncertain. That’s the place I stay now. I do not know, I’ll positively be watching it on TV. I feel it’s a nice occasion,’ he informed Golf.com.
‘I grew up my complete childhood watching the occasion. I might like to get on the market. I do not know the way it might be obtained, me getting on the market and watching, strolling round within the crowd. Is likely to be fairly humorous, I might love to do this.’
Smith later joked that he did not assume he would participate within the heckling.
Whereas Smith will miss out on his look on the Gamers, there’s nothing standing in his method of making an attempt to maintain maintain of the Claret Jug this yr.
Smith turned the primary Australian in nearly 30 years to take residence the claret jug final July, and it was feared he might not characteristic in Scotland this yr after leaping ship a month later for a reported $140million.
However Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, govt director of champions on the R&A, acknowledged the likes of Smith and fellow LIV gamers together with Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed will characteristic at Royal Liverpool.
The affirmation from Cole-Hamilton backs up earlier feedback from R&A chief Martin Slumbers, who mentioned banning LIV gamers was ‘not on our agenda.’
The Australian was suspended from the PGA Tour after defecting to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf
The 29-year-old will probably be allowed to defend his British Open this yr after his win at St Andrews
Smith hinted at some remorse over his choice to leap ship to the insurgent circuit as he admitted ‘it hurts’ that he cannot be world No. 1.
Smith has additionally declared the world rankings will probably be ‘out of date’ if factors aren’t awarded to LIV occasions, with a slew of the world’s greatest gamers now a part of Greg Norman’s billion-dollar breakaway.
The Australian climbed to a career-high rating of No 2 in 2022, a yr wherein he gained 5 instances, in addition to each The Open and The Gamers Championship.
He has solely dropped to No 4 since becoming a member of LIV after his triumph at St Andrews, however different LIV gamers have had larger slips, with Dustin Johnson, arguably a top-10 participant, ranked 58.
