Two years without a win, Smith shifts to cruise control
Murray Wenzel |
Cameron Smith admits he’s felt every poor shot and poor round more than ever this season, but he won’t reinvent himself to arrest the slide.
Instead, the former world No.2 and major winner, now two years and three months on from his last victory, will try to relax.
The LIV Golf talent will be in the field at the Australian PGA Championship at Brisbane’s Royal Queensland from Thursday.
It’s a hometown tournament he’s won three times and finished runner-up at last year.
Smith, the only player to miss the cut at all four majors last season, wants to wind back the clock to rediscover that winning form.
“I’ve played my whole career with really no expectation of playing well,” the 2022 Open Championship winner and new father said on Tuesday.
“I expected to prepare well and do all that stuff well.
“This year, maybe just with a lot of stuff at home happening, and expecting a lot more out of myself, particularly with how hard I’ve worked.
“It’s not how I’ve played golf in the last 10 years.
“It’s been difficult, but I just need to get back to how I (used to) think and that is just being cruisy and not worrying about a poor shot.”
Smith, who had five top-10 finishes in 13 regular LIV Golf events this season, missed his sixth-straight cut at last week’s Saudi International in Riyadh.
“It’s kind of been the story of the year, I guess I thought I’ve played better than what I’ve scored,” he said.
“The work has been there and those poor rounds creeping in … it’s been very frustrating.
“That’s really bothered me this year, whereas in the past it probably hasn’t.
“Looking back on stuff has been good. So I’m looking forward to getting in and getting into the groove this week.”
Smith and Marc Leishman took their talents to nearby Suncorp Stadium on Tuesday, teaming up with Brisbane NRL and AFL champions Adam Reynolds and Hugh McCluggage respectively for a chipping contest.
Smith took the honours with his sixth and final ball, putting it narrowly inside McCluggage’s.
A mad Broncos fan, Smith revealed he had watched the second half of the grand final on his phone in his golf bag during an Alfred Dunhill Links round at St Andrews.
“I was saying to the (Broncos) boys, ‘If you make the final, I could come back’.
“I had no idea that I was playing that same week.
“We had a rain delay on the Saturday, so our round got pushed to Sunday … I wasn’t too happy about the timing, but kind of had it on in the bag, on silent, and was keeping updates as the round went on.”
The field includes Masters champion Adam Scott, in-form New Zealander Ryan Fox, rising Australian star Min Woo Lee, England’s Marco Peng, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and defending champion Elvis Smylie.
Last year’s tournament was reduced to a three-round affair when the second round was washed out and, after heavy, destructive storms on Monday more wet weather is predicted for the weekend.
AAP
