Marc Leishman says Cam Smith’s surprising Australian PGA meltdown will likely be “good for him”.
Smith’s PGA title defence got here to a horror finish on Friday when he shot a 78 at Royal Queensland to complete at nine-over after two rounds and miss the reduce by 9 strokes.
The 2022 British Open champion and match drawcard was in tears after the spherical in reflecting on one of many worst days of his skilled profession.
“It’s shit. It’s not acceptable – it’s very upsetting really,” a teary Smith stated.
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Leishman, an in depth buddy of Smith and his Ripper GC teammate in LIV Golf, was not stunned by the 30-year-old Queenslander’s emotion.
“It’s disappointing once you don’t play nicely, notably in an occasion that you simply love a lot,” Leishman stated.
“I’ve executed it in Australian Opens and tournaments I’ve gained in America. You go there seeking to win the occasion (however) you don’t take it with no consideration.
“Good golf programs reward good pictures and punish unhealthy pictures. This place punishes unhealthy pictures.
“It doesn’t matter who you might be. In the event you hit a number of unhealthy pictures, you begin fascinated about it a bit an excessive amount of and it may occur.”
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Leishman tipped Smith to bounce again at subsequent week’s Australian Open in Sydney.
“I’m by no means apprehensive about him … he’s an enormous lad,” Leishman stated.
“In the long term it’ll be good for him to know it may occur. I do know he’ll knuckle down and he’ll be higher for it subsequent week.
“He’s one of many best gamers on the planet, and I’m positive he’ll bounce again and be fairly arduous to beat subsequent week.”
Whereas Smith can’t win this 12 months’s occasion at Royal Queensland, Leishman moved up the leaderboard on Saturday with a third-round 67 that moved him to 9 beneath, eight pictures behind chief Min Woo Lee, who heads the sphere at 17-under.
“I’m proud of how I performed,” stated Leishman, who’s in a tie for seventh heading into the ultimate spherical.
“It was good to see a number of putts go in and one thing loopy (on Sunday) and also you by no means know.
“All of us need to win it, so if I can play like I did (on Saturday) and get a sizzling putter, you by no means know what may occur.
“Hopefully I can play good, end in addition to I can and see the way it goes.”
Trailing Lee by three pictures in second place is Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, who was very good on Saturday with a seven-under 64.
Western Australia’s Curtis Scott is third at 13-under, two forward of Adam Scott, who shot a 71 on Saturday to stay at 11-under.