Smith poster-boy for golf’s civil war
KEY figures in Australian golf were among the spectators at St Andrews last week as they held meetings aimed at convincing Cameron Smith to return at the end of the year to play on home soil.
Smith apparently gave every indication he would feature in the Australian Open and PGA but if you believe the rumours emanating in the days following his historic win in the Open championship, those same officials may have wasted their breath and time. Smith’s opportunity to play in Australia’s major events this year may be lost if he falls under the spell of Greg Norman and his pot of Saudi gold.
Australia’s major tournaments are co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – and while they are yet to blanket ban LIV Tour players, there is every chance they may do so at some point in the future.
It could mean that the holy triumvirate of Australian golf – Smith, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman – are prevented from playing before their home fans should they switch camps.
The world of golf is tying itself in knots and Australia is on the verge of becoming collateral damage at a time when the sport should be celebrating a landmark moment after Smith’s win at St Andrews.
The headlines in the days after his Open win have been dominated by the LIV invasion. In England, they scream about next year’s Ryder Cup being decimated as European captain Henrik Stenson flirted with LIV Golf.
Before then, the Presidents Cup is to be played and the International team is under siege. Smith would have been their No.1 player but he has become the poster-boy for golf’s civil war and there is no shortage of advice coming his way. Former US president Donald Trump even waded into the debate this week.
If you believe the rumours, Smith was staring down the barrel of a $100 million plus payday to jump ship before the Open began.
There is every chance his price tag soared north of $150m following his win at St Andrews, his value skyrocketing thanks to the biggest moment of his career.
Trump suggested Smith should take the money now because when a merger takes place between the US PGA Tour and LIV, the money won’t be on the table.
Rebel leagues haven’t always been unmitigated disasters. World Series Cricket brought the establishment out of the dark ages.
Super League only survived for a short time before the competitions quickly merged, but the players benefited to the tune of millions. Some players got very rich, very quick.
Smith now finds himself in similar territory.
At some point, if the LIV Tour continues to splash the cash and attract the game’s elite players, the US PGA Tour will be left with little choice but to negotiate a compromise.