As the merger talks between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) continue, there have been questions regarding the future of LIV Golf. Australian golfer Cameron Smith has now dropped a bold claim regarding this.
The 2022 Open Championship winner stunned the golfing world when he agreed to ditch the PGA Tour and join LIV Golf. Since then, he has gone on to win several individual and team championships on the 54-hole circuit.
On many occasions, he has backed his decision to join the Saudi-backed tour and defended them. In a recent appearance at the Straight Talk with Mark Bouris podcast, he once again backed his tour and dropped a strong claim.
In this appearance, the Australian international claimed that LIV Golf would take over the place of the PGA Tour and become the main ‘tour’ of men’s professional golf.
The team and stuff is so exciting. Being so worldwide is a really great thing for us, we travel a lot but I think we bring a really good product to places that haven’t seen world-class golf in a long time… I am really excited as a team but as a tour, I think we are going to go from strength to strength and I think as time goes on we are going to have better players, more depth and I think we are going to be the tour.
Cameron Smith said on Straight Talk with Mark Bouris
Last year some more big names of the PGA and DP World Tour leave the circuits to join LIV Golf. One of them was Jon Rahm who joined the PIF-funded tour on a massive $600 million deal. He was soon joined by his Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton who also joined Rahm’s newly formed team, Legion XIII.
Cameron Smith falls short in Australian PGA Championship
After the conclusion of the LIV Golf schedule, Cameron Smith and some other Australian golfers took part in the BMW Australian PGA Championship. In this marquee event, Smith fell short at the end.
Smith entered this tournament with the aim of claiming a fourth title. However, the major champion was unable to add another win in this competition as Elvis Smylie, who considers Smith as his “idol” came away as the winner.
Smylie finished the final round 4-under 67 and claimed his maiden win with a two-stroke lead while finishing 14-under 199 (the event was reduced to 54 holes due to the event being washed out on Friday). Smith finished second after shooting 69 in the final round and wrapped up the event with a score of 12-under 201.
🚨🏆🇦🇺 #WINNER — Elvis Smylie claims his first DPWT victory on home turf at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, finishing two strokes ahead of Cam Smith at Royal Queensland GC. pic.twitter.com/UmVAmyiyuq
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) November 24, 2024
Smith will now look forward to the Australian Open. This is one of the events which he has not won yet and after this close defeat, he could be more motivated to win on home soil again.
