Cameron Smith’s missed lower on the Australian PGA has had world rating penalties with the Australian star dropping to twentieth, impacting his battle to get to subsequent 12 months’s Paris Olympics.
However winner Min Woo Lee has jumped to a profession excessive 38 and might put together for a second journey to the Masters whereas additionally revealing he’ll be amongst gamers getting fitted for an Olympic uniform declaring it will be an “honour” to symbolize his nation.
Smith made it clear earlier than the PGA in Brisbane he needed to be a dual-Olympian, having teamed up with Marc Leishman on the Tokyo Video games in 2021, and will even play extra Asian Tour occasions in 2024 to get to Paris.
His world rating was as excessive as No.2 when he received the British open in 2022, however with LIV golfers formally denied world rating factors for his or her occasions, Smith has progressively fallen down the record, albeit at a slower price than a lot of his colleagues within the Saudi-backed league.
Smith was nonetheless on the earth high 10 when he performed the ultimate main of 2023 on the British Open in July, however his fast slide began after that and his failure at Royal Queensland has despatched him to No.20.
Whereas he stays the top-ranked Australian, rankings projections have him falling outdoors the automated qualification zone mid-way via 2024.
Lee, who has received two of his previous 4 occasions together with his PGA triumph, is about to leap from 45 to 38 on the rankings, guaranteeing him a begin at Augusta subsequent April.
It’s a career-high rank for Lee who looms as the person most definitely to switch Smith in Australia’s Olympic crew, with the Video games ambitions of Jason Day, at the moment Australia’s second-highest ranked participant at 21, unclear.
Lee revealed he amongst just a few gamers set for an Olympic uniform becoming whereas in Australia, and he would embrace the strain of taking part in for that spot.
“You don’t need to get forward of your self and get fitted for one thing that you just’re not in, so yeah, there’s a little bit of strain there, and I like strain,” he stated.
“I believe there’s just some of us, whoever’s going to doubtlessly get in, I nonetheless have to play some good golf to get in.
“I usually are likely to play nicely once I have to make one thing or I have to do one thing to get in a match, so I’m actually excited for that. That may be a real honour to play for Australia.”
Lee may very well be joined by his celebrity sister Minjee in Paris, with positions to be selected rankings by June 17 for males and June 24 for ladies.
The 25-year-old additionally stated attending to the Masters for a second-time was in his thoughts as he returned to Australia for the PGA and this week’s Australian Open.
“It was type of behind my head if I missed lower the following two weeks, this week and subsequent week, I didn’t know if I used to be going to make it. I used to be actually assured in myself and knew if I performed nicely that will solidify itself,” he stated.
“I’m actually excited. It’s probably the greatest locations on earth for myself. I price it so extremely and it’s one of the best place to go. I rank that one the primary Main, clearly the Open’s proper behind it, however yeah, Augusta’s a particular place. I can’t wait to return.”