In a throwback to golf’s halcyon days in Australia, the nation’s most up-to-date male main winner is taking part in in an off broadway occasion on the native tour this week.
Cameron Smith is teeing it up within the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Membership in Brisbane, beginning Thursday, as a part of a four-event stretch the place the 2022 Open champion will play in entrance of residence followers.
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The previous world quantity two final performed his residence state’s PGA Championship in 2015 – when he completed tied second – and his resolution to play this week has been motivated by poor showings in Australia’s showpiece tournaments final summer season.
Defending his title on the Australian PGA Championship, Smith missed the reduce at Royal Queensland earlier than ending tied seventeenth on the Australian Open in Sydney the next week.
He’s a three-time winner of the Australian PGA however the Australian Open crown has eluded him to this point, and the burning ambition so as to add that trophy to his mantlepiece has prompted the bizarre transfer to participate within the occasion with a complete prize purse of $250,000.
“If I wasn’t taking part in this week, I’d most likely be sitting on me bum at residence doing nothing,” Smith stated with amusing.
“I believed it was a very good alternative to assist out the Aussie tour and preserve the aggressive reps going earlier than the couple of massive ones on the finish of the 12 months. It’s been six or seven weeks now since my final event so actually getting out right here and staying aggressive.
“I didn’t have the most effective prep going into final 12 months. I most likely had two months off and never a lot follow in between.
“It was form of an actual eye opener to know what needs to be completed to prep for these occasions. Particularly the Aussie ones, they’ve at all times been so good to me and I’d wish to assume I’ve obtained a fairly good file, and to do one thing like that was fairly painful.
“Don’t wish to let that occur once more.”
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As Smith realized final summer season, the native expertise are not any simple beats.
He the one main champion within the area at Nudgee this week, and is undisputedly the most effective participant there.
However he is aware of he has obtained a goal on his again as a result of there are 119 different golfers striving to make a reputation for themselves by being the one who beat the LIV Golf star.
“I’d say I’ve obtained essentially the most strain on me out of anybody,” Smith stated.
“Everyone seems to be anticipating me to simply come down right here and win. I actually don’t assume that’s the case. I’ve performed with quite a lot of these guys rising up they usually’re actually gifted golfers. It’s going to take a few of my finest stuff this week to get the job completed.”
There was virtually a golf and rugby league crossover this week.
Smith is aware of Brisbane Broncos captain Adam Reynolds effectively and requested him if he could be his caddie for the week.
Sadly their schedules didn’t line up with Reynolds being on holidays so Smith’s coach Grant Subject will carry the bag as a substitute.
“‘Reyno’ actually needed to do it. It might have been enjoyable for him to do it being this sort of occasion the place individuals can stroll round within the fairways,” Smith stated.
“I received’t have him for any of the large ones although, I’m certain he’s not that good of a caddie.”
Subsequent on Smith’s schedule is the NSW Open – which is being performed at Murray Downs on the Murray River – earlier than collaborating within the Australian summer season’s two most distinguished occasions, the Australian PGA Championship and the Australian Open.
Smith’s presence is a flashback to the Eighties when the likes of Greg Norman used to play in tournaments off the crushed observe to offer Australians across the nation the chance to see our brightest stars up shut and private.
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The largest beneficiaries would be the younger upstarts on the PGA Tour of Australasia who’re hoping to comply with in his footsteps sooner or later.
The likes of 22-year-olds Jack Buchanan and Elvis Smylie – who’ve received the final three tour occasions between them – together with new skilled Quinn Croker will get a superb indication of far off the sport’s elite they’re.
For Croker, it has an enormous change from virtually 12 months in the past when he was working as a part of the grounds crew at Royal Queensland Golf Membership through the Australian PGA Championship the place Smith attracted packed galleries.
“To see him come residence, it virtually appears like you’ll be able to take a look at your sport in opposition to his,” stated Croker.
“Clearly it is dependent upon the kind of week he has. If he has an excellent week, it’s most likely going to be higher than your excellent week.
“However you form of hope that perhaps Sunday your title’s proper subsequent to his and also you get to play the ultimate spherical with him.”
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Within the opening two rounds, amateurs Wes Hinton and Kayun Mudadana have secured the dream grouping of taking part in alongside their idol.
The duo are Smith’s scholarship recipients for 2024 – the Queenslander provides out two scholarships to budding Australian amateurs yearly – they usually have already loved every week with him in Florida the place they practised and performed with Smith, in addition to watching the captain of the all-Australian Ripper GC at LIV Golf Chicago.
They’re now pinching themselves that they may even get to play in an actual event with Smith.
“Enjoying golf with Cam earlier than that is actually helpful as a result of we have been each actually nervous to play with him as a result of Cam’s going to see each single shot we hit,” Hinton stated.
“There’s going to be much more nerves. It’s going to be about attempting to just accept that, flip these nerves into pleasure.
“It’s a privilege to be taking part in below that kind of strain.”
The ultimate two rounds of the Queensland PGA will likely be proven dwell and unique on Fox Sports activities and Kayo on Saturday and Sunday 12.30pm-5.30pm AEDT.