Australian hopes have been excessive heading into the ultimate main of the 12 months, however The Open Championship led to catastrophe for the nation and its 9 hopefuls at Royal Portrush.
Marc Leishman was the one Australian to make the lower with Cameron Smith, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert, Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake and Curtis Luck all failing to make the weekend.
That brutal capsule would’ve been particularly laborious to swallow for Smith, who hoped a return to British linksland would’ve been sufficient to reignite his kind on the majors.
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Smith was the 2022 Champion Golfer on the Yr after a shocking triumph at St Andrews, however defected to LIV Golf quickly after and has seen his kind on the majors development downwards ever since.
However this 12 months has seen that adverse development flip right into a full-blown nosedive.
By lacking the lower at Royal Portrush, Smith suffers the undesirable report of being the one male golfer this 12 months to overlook the lower in any respect 4 majors.
When added to his missed lower at Royal Troon final 12 months, it makes five-consecutive majors wherein Smith hasn’t performed the weekend.
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Regardless of hooking his opening tee shot a stunning 150 yards, Smith had made a promising begin to the occasion with a one-over par opening spherical, however that was adopted by a seven-over 78 that sealed his destiny.
Solely two gamers — Adam Scott and novice Connor Graham — scored worse on the day.
Within the seven years previous to 2025, Smith had made 23 cuts of 27 within the majors — a strike price that not even Rory McIlroy boasted in the identical interval.
Smith now heads again to the LIV tour the place he sits sixteenth on the standings.
He’s additionally now three years right into a five-year exemption to play the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open, which means he may quickly be left with solely The Open to play if he can’t flip his fortunes on the majors round.
LEISH MISSES CHANCE TO LOCK IN MAJOR FUTURE
Leishman must do issues the laborious method to characteristic within the main championships subsequent 12 months.
The 41-year-old began the ultimate spherical decided to push for a high ten end to e-book his place in The Open subject at Royal Birkdale in 12 months time, however issues didn’t go to plan with a disappointing 75.
Leishman sat on the sofa for ten consecutive majors after becoming a member of LIV Golf in 2022, however returned to the showpiece occasions after coming by way of qualifying ultimately month’s US Open and incomes his place at Royal Portrush with a high three end ultimately 12 months’s Australian Open.
A powerful exhibiting at Royal Melbourne in December awaits as his subsequent greatest alternative to return to the British Hyperlinks, however in any other case because it stands, he must play qualifying occasions subsequent years.
The Masters is a comparatively closed store with LIV golfers struggling to achieve entry except they’ve gained a inexperienced jacket, maintain a five-year exemption to all of the majors following a significant victory like Cameron Smith, or obtain a particular invite from Augusta Nationwide like Joaquin Niemann.
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The PGA Championship is changing into extra accommodating of LIV golfers, however whereas the door remains to be ajar, Leishman’s main future stays unsure.
Though, he’s not stressing about it, and is accepting that he was nicely conscious that his world rating would take a beating and make moving into the majors tougher by becoming a member of LIV.
“Yeah, completely satisfied to be again. Clearly if all the things works out and we will get in them, I’d like to play them,” Leishman mentioned of the majors.
“If not, I’m not going to emphasize over it or something. Sure, I actually wish to be right here, however pleased with my selections.”
As for his sport on the course, Leishman was upset along with his closing spherical however believes the optimistic indicators are there.
“I didn’t begin very nicely any spherical. Like at the moment I needed to get off to an excellent begin and didn’t, and kind of all the things appeared a little bit bit out of attain and simply struggled after that,” he mentioned.
“My ball placing was respectable. I missed just a few drives proper. I’ve had just a few driver points this 12 months simply with them breaking. Not me breaking them, however them breaking. I had one break on the best way over right here, and I lastly discovered one which is nice. I’ll take that as a optimistic this week. I discovered a driver that I like, simply couldn’t string sufficient good holes collectively, I suppose.
“It appeared like each time I’d have a birdie at the moment, I’d comply with it up with a bogey or worse. So yeah, disappointing day, however take the nice with the dangerous. Onwards and upwards from right here.”
AUSTRALIAN RESULTS AT THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2025
CUT — Jason Day, +2
CUT — Elvis Smylie, +3
CUT — Lucas Herbert, +4
CUT — Min Woo Lee, +5
CUT — Curtis Luck, +8
CUT — Cameron Smith, +8
CUT — Ryan Peake, +8