Cameron Smith has gained two occasions prior to now two months and had two top-10 main finishes in 2023 nevertheless it set to drop out of the world’s prime 10 because the LIV Golf combat for world rating factors continues to enrage.
Victor Hovland’s win within the second occasion of the PGA Tour playoffs boosted the Norwegian to fifth on this planet however Smith, who was a winner of the LIV occasion in New Jersey simply final weekend, acquired no rankings reward for his efforts.
Smith’s victory got here after successful the LIV occasion in London in July earlier than he completed in a tie for thirty third defending his British Open crown at Royal Liverpool.
Within the different occasions Smith was eligible for world rating factors, he completed fourth on the US Open, tied for ninth on the PGA Championship and tied for thirty fourth on the Masters.
After successful the latest LIV occasion, Smith’s Ripper GC teammate, former Australian Open winner Matt Jones, stated the Queenslander was equal to world No.1 Scottie Scheffler by most measures and wanted to be recognised as such.
“Everybody talks about Scottie Scheffler having a end of prime 12 each week. Cam does it each week out right here, and he wins these two occasions,” Jones stated.
“If there’s discuss Scottie, there’s acquired to be discuss Cam in the identical breath. That’s all I’ve to say.”
Smith demolished a area that included former world No.1s and a slew of main champions together with PGA winner Brooks Koepka in a seven-shot win in New Jersey.
That got here after 2020 US Open champ Bryson DeChambeau shot a report spherical of 58 to win the earlier LIV occasion. He’s ranked 113th on this planet, having been within the prime 10 12 months in the past.
Koepka is the one different LIV participant contained in the world prime 50, ranked 13.
Having lodged a request for LIV occasions to get world rating factors greater than 12 months in the past, it’s understood the “aggressive integrity” of the 54-hole, no-cut occasions stays the best hurdle for acceptance.
Gamers have routinely stated the present world rankings system would quickly be “out of date” and the current deal performed between the US PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Funding Fund, which backs LIV Golf, may but have an effect on the breakaway tour.
For his half Smith, who may have been world No.1 if he had not joined LIV for a reported $140m, conceded lacking that chance “hurts”, however he had zero regrets about his transfer.
“For certain it hurts. I really feel as if I used to be actually near attending to No.1, and that was undoubtedly one thing I needed to tick off,” he stated just lately.
“However sort of the longer that these items goes on, I believe the extra out of date these rankings develop into.“