‘A lot of pressure’: Australian LIV team feel the heat
Steve Larkin |
Cam Smith is uncertain if the spotlight will shift from him to young Australian Elvis Smylie at LIV Golf’s Adelaide tournament.
“Maybe. Perhaps,” Smith said ahead of Thursday’s opening round at the Grange in Adelaide.
“I still feel like there’s a lot of pressure on myself and the team to perform well this week.
“It’s our biggest week of the year. To have the home crowd behind you, you don’t want to let them down.
“Perhaps it’s a little bit different this year, but I don’t think it really changes what we’re thinking about and what we want to achieve on Sunday.”
Smith has carried the bulk of Australian attention at LIV’s past three tournaments in Adelaide.
But the stunning emergence of compatriot and Ripper GC teammate Smylie offers a different dynamic to the fresh edition.
The 23-year-old Smylie won his debut LIV tournament last weekend in Saudi Arabia.
The left-hander’s feat in holding off a final-round flourish from Spain’s former world No.1 Jon Rahm also helped Ripper GC to the team title in Riyadh.
“The important thing for me personally, and I think from the team’s perspective, is just not get too complacent with what we achieved last week, which was something significant,” Smylie said.
“We now want to look forward and look for the next mountain to climb – and the next mountain is climbing Adelaide.
“Achieving the team win at home would be incredibly special.”
The all-Australian Ripper outfit – now featuring captain Smith, Smylie, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman – won the teams title in Adelaide in 2024.
But no Australian has captured the individual crown in Adelaide, with Smith’s tied-third finish in 2023 the best local result.
The fresh LIV tournament will be the last at the Grange in Adelaide’s west, with the event moving to nearby Kooyonga next year.
A redeveloped North Adelaide course, on the fringe of the city’s central business district, is slated to host LIV from 2028.
“I don’t think it’s going to affect the quality of the event, moving venues,” Smith said.
“Adelaide is a town that embraces big sporting events.
“I was down here for the Ashes (at Adelaide Oval) over the summer and it was cool – it was almost like the same type of vibe as we get this week around town.”
AAP
