Newsmaker of the Month: Cameron Smith
It provaides an insight into the make-up of Cameron Smith that in the immediate aftermath of LIV Golf’s London event, his mind was on the six-footer he missed rather than the two-footer he converted to win.
Smith’s individual triumph at Centurion Club put the 2022 Open champion in an almost perfect position prior to returning the claret jug at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Top 15 in each of his two most recent major appearances, Smith somewhat struggled with the driver yet produced a customary brilliant putting performance and found something in the way he and caddie Sam Pinfold navigated their way around the golf course.
It was enough to secure a one-stroke win from fellow Australian Marc Leishman and American Patrick Reed, yet had he gone one better than his three-under 68 in his final round, he and his Ripper GC teammates would have faced off against 4Aces in LIV Golf’s first team playoff.
“Really mixed emotions,” said the Ripper GC captain of falling one shot shy of forcing a team playoff. “We’ve been talking about it all year. It’s been in the group chats. Everyone has been playing good the past couple of weeks, Spain and here.
“I was really expecting a big week last week. It wasn’t really our weekend in Spain. We showed that we’re a contender of the team stuff, and that’s where we want to be every week.”
As for the timing of his first win of the year and first since the Australian PGA Championship last November, Smith acknowledged that it represented the missing piece of his preparation puzzle.
“It’s nice to get one out of the way,” added the 29-year-old. “Hopefully it opens the floodgates a little bit.”
Headliners
Kingston Heath Golf Club: The No.2-ranked course in the country will host the Presidents Cup for the first time in 2028 [see more from page 76].
Connor McKinney: Added his name to the 10 Australians to have qualified for the Open Championship, surviving a playoff at Final Qualifying to book his major-championship debut at Hoylake.
Heritage Golf & Country Club: The Jack Nicklaus-designed St John course will return to the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule after confirmation the Heritage Classic will be played for the next three years.
Yuuki Takada and Jake Riley: Takada (Southport GC) and Riley (Toronto CC) took out the girls’ and boys’ Queensland Junior Amateur titles at Nudgee Golf Club.
Natascha Tennent: The 16-year-old from Brisbane won the gold medal in the women’s 18-hole division at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. All six members of the golf team won medals as Australia recorded its best-ever team result, finishing fifth on the medal tally.
Ella Scaysbrook and Taj Egea: A member at The Australian GC, Scaysbrook continued her dominance of the junior scene by taking out the NSW Junior Championship at Ocean Shores Country Club. Egea, from Wolston Park GC in Brisbane, won the boys division by one stroke.
Lachlan Wood: Less than a week after making his G4D Tour debut in Europe, Wood made history by becoming the first All Abilities golfer to win on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, beating a quality field by one stroke at the Tin Can Bay Pro-Am.
Ann Jang and Jesse Trembath: Won the respective girls and boys divisions at the Victorian Junior Amateur at Cobram-Barooga and Tocumwal golf clubs.
She Did What?
At 91 years of age, Joyce Smith won the club championship at Mount Alexander Golf Club in central Victoria. Not only that, it was also her 55th club championship win, dating back to the 1960s soon after she joined the club with friends.
Getty images: tom dulat; courtesy of mount alexander gc
