You might be forgiven when you missed it. Underneath lights in Saudi Arabia, on a breakaway tour, shouldn’t be precisely the place you’d be in search of golf’s subsequent massive factor.
However, certain sufficient, there he was. That’s, when you imagine the hype.
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And if he’s leaving Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau in his wake, whereas new colleagues journey over themselves to ship reward, why the heck wouldn’t you?
Elvis Smylie may effectively be on target to turn into Australia’s subsequent worldwide {golfing} famous person.
If that looks as if a untimely name on the 23-year-old Queenslander, then take into account this: Since turning professional in 2021, he’s gained on each tour he’s featured on. The most recent got here on his LIV Golf debut in Riyadh, the place he edged the competitors’s greatest participant and two-time main winner, Rahm, by one shot to clinch the A$5.6m winner’s cheque.
Smylie exploded with cries of ‘c’mon’ and ‘sure’ after his successful putt hit the underside of the cup, and a star was born.
However the win did extra than simply thrust his title ahead on the worldwide stage.
It confirmed that for all of the kicking and screaming on LIV Golf to achieve extra world rating factors, there is a authentic pathway again to international relevance for its gamers.
Smylie may even be the primary to stroll it.
The world rating was a scorching matter at The Grange on Tuesday forward of LIV Golf’s showpiece occasion in Adelaide, with many gamers getting their first likelihood to react in full to the OWGR’s determination to allocate a lowered quantity of factors for top-10 finishers.
However for all of the uproar about perceived injustices — 47/57 golfers gained’t win any OWGR factors per LIV occasion — Smylie struck a drastically completely different tune.
Talking of his world rating targets, he mentioned: “Positively (to be) prime 50 on the planet, which I’m very near attaining.
“It’s nice we do get recognition. On the finish of the day, good golf takes care of itself so, I’ll strive win a couple of extra occasions and, finally, the Masters is one thing that’s on my thoughts now.
“That’s a dialog I can begin to have, and it’s gasoline to the fireplace for me. So let’s see what occurs these subsequent few weeks.
“I’m persevering with to progress within the course that I wish to and play my manner into majors, which is one thing that I’m very enthusiastic about doing.”
That might be some leap, however the details don’t lie. Smylie, together with his eyes firmly mounted on the prize, is all of the sudden on the point of breaking into the Masters — and different majors may observe.
He’s obtained there by advantage of his prodigious leap up the world rankings in Riyadh, the place victory lifted him from world No.134 to 77th.
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One other win this week in Adelaide, and Smylie is projected to rocket himself to about forty fifth.
There stays heavy conjecture over whether or not LIV Golf is appropriately recognised by the OWGR, and honest sufficient. Smylie solely clinched 22.99 factors in Riyadh in comparison with Chris Gotterup’s 58.10 in Phoenix.
Nevertheless, Smylie’s win reveals how the OWGR’s softened stance in the direction of LIV does genuinely depart the door ajar to its greatest performers.
‘CAN BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD’
Ought to Smylie break new floor by busting by means of that door, the broader {golfing} world will probably be in little doubt over his true potential.
It’s one thing that’s been understood for a while to golf followers on these shores, the place Smylie shouldn’t be an unknown drive.
That’s in small half right down to the truth that he won’t even be probably the most well-known member of his household. Smylie’s mom, Liz, is a four-time Grand Slam winner in doubles, whereas father Peter was additionally a tennis professional.
Riyadh champ Smylie eyeing masters spot | 00:29
However Smylie’s personal fame is mainly right down to a breakthrough win on the 2024 Australian PGA Championship, the place he edged out mentor Cameron Smith to win by two pictures.
Even so, his rise thus far has been way more speedy than anybody may’ve thought.
Take it from Smith, whose relationship with Smylie goes again to 2019 when he was the 17-year-old recipient of the scholarship bearing his title.
“It’s all occurred actually rapidly,” Smith mentioned. “I don’t suppose I’d have thought it could occur that fast. But it surely has, and it’s nice. It’s superior.
“I believe Elvis has already determined he needs to be the most effective golfers on the planet and he proved it (in Riyadh).
“And the loopy factor is I nonetheless suppose he’s obtained loads of enhancing to go, which is fairly scary, actually, for the remainder of us, as a result of he waxed us.
“So I genuinely suppose he could be one of the best golfer on the planet. He’s obtained all of the instruments of the commerce.
“He’s obtained the mentality, he’s obtained the grit — he’s a Queenslander, in order that comes with it — so he has to resolve the place he goes from right here, and I believe he can solely go a method, and it’s to get higher.”
Although Smith’s reward is undoubtedly the strongest Smylie has acquired, this isn’t merely a case of mentor sticking up for protegee (and teammate, since his recruitment by Ripper GC).
If the OWGR was the most important speaking level in Adelaide, it solely narrowly eclipsed Smylie who was a agency rival for top-billing. From Smylie’s Ripper teammates, to worldwide rivals at Fireballs and Smash GC, it was clear that the Australian left an astonishing first impression in Riyadh.
“I performed with Elvis within the last spherical. What an unimaginable golfer and such an excellent child,” LIV Golf’s particular person champion in 2023, Talor Gooch, mentioned.
“Twenty-three years outdated is loopy to consider. I used to be not almost as mature as he’s after I was 23 and never almost pretty much as good of a golfer as he’s.
“It’s unimaginable since I’ve turned professional how a lot better these dudes are after they flip professional than what we have been 10 years in the past once we turned (professional) — it’s unbelievable the shift in that.
“It’s superior. You see a 23-year-old Elvis that simply gained … and to see him placing on a regular basis in, and he’s actually 30 years youthful than a number of the different guys out right here … it’s unimaginable.”
And it wasn’t simply the senior crop who have been left gushing over Smylie.
So, too, have been his rival younger weapons on tour David Puig, Josele Ballester and Luis Masaveu, who’re all lower than 25 however are equally surprised by Smylie’s personal speedy rise.
“He performed unimaginable,” Puig mentioned. “I attempted my hardest to beat him, and he simply saved making birdies and enjoying superior golf.
“Perhaps it implies that the children are hopefully able to win a little bit extra.
“It’s only a nice inspiration for me and possibly for these two guys (Ballester and Masaveu), as effectively, to know that in a manner we’re able to win, and hopefully beat the older gamers extra usually.”
Ballester added: “Seeing Elvis win final week was positively inspirational.
“I believe it’s an excellent signal for the league that younger guys like us, we are able to begin being in competition extra usually and ultimately win like Elvis did.”
Masaveu mentioned he was additionally impressed by Smylie’s win, including that it confirmed the younger weapons that “we are able to do it as effectively”.
Elvis Smylie’s most up-to-date professional outcomes
LIV Riyadh — 1
Hero Dubai Desert Basic — T109
Australian Open — T8
Australian PGA Championship — T19
DP World Tour Championship — T42
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — T32
Genesis Championship — T75
Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship — T99
Open de France — T2
BMW PGA Championship — T31
Irish Open — T37
Betfred British Masters — T33
Danish Golf Championship — T6
A LANDMARK STEP
There’s an added twist to Smylie’s LIV arrival that makes his scenario much more unimaginable.
Whereas a lot of LIV’s recruits joined the tour on the expense of competing on others — in lots of instances, memberships have been relinquished — Smylie has steered he’ll stay a semi-regular contender on Europe’s DP World Tour.
That’s although the DP World Tour has issued hefty fines to members who’ve skipped occasions to play conflicting LIV Golf tournaments.
Rahm revealed earlier this 12 months that in two seasons on LIV Golf, his fines have tallied about A$4.2 million, although they have been topic to an enchantment.
Smylie’s association is a curious one with the Australian refusing to disclose its precise particulars.
Nonetheless, his feedback recommend that LIV Golf chief Scott O’Neil has brokered a particular deal for a choose few, together with Smylie, to proceed to play on Europe’s premiere circuit with out important penalty.
“The one factor that I’ll say is what an awesome job Scott O’Neil has carried out with having the ability to have negotiations with the DP World Tour and arising with an answer for us LIV gamers that also wish to proceed enjoying on the DP World Tour,” he mentioned.
“I’ve been given that chance, and I’m excited to proceed enjoying on that Tour.
“There’s protocols to undergo, and there’s steps that LIV remains to be going by means of with the DP World Tour, however we’re actually assured that we’re in a position to transfer in a optimistic course.”
Final season was Smylie’s first as a full-time DP World Tour participant. His greatest outcome outdoors of successful the Australian PGA was a T2 on the Open de France, the place he was narrowly defeated by Michael Kim, whereas he claimed top-10 finishes on the Danish Golf Championship and Australian Open.
Talking of the significance of continuous in Europe, Smylie mentioned he views the publicity to completely different programs and environments as essential to his ongoing growth.
“Final 12 months was such an enormous studying curve of getting that chance of enjoying so many alternative tournaments worldwide, and that tour remains to be very aggressive,” he mentioned.
“And I really feel like enjoying on that tour remains to be going to place me in actually good stead with the intention to proceed to get higher.
“That have final 12 months in Europe actually served me in nice stead. I felt like I actually turned a cosmopolitan golfer. You’re at all times competing in numerous environments and situations, and that’s one thing that I’ve actually thrived on, and I’m actually trying ahead to this 12 months.”
If nothing else, the shock growth — and the lengths during which LIV was ready to go in its hunt for his signature — converse to how highly-rated Smylie is.
His subsequent step may show mutually helpful, too, amid a backdrop of uncertainty for LIV Golf.
The Saudi-backed tour is reaching its crossroads second because it heads right into a fifth season, with extra stars coming off contract.
Already, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have stop the league to chase returns on the PGA Tour.
There’s the potential for extra to observe with DeChambeau refusing to commit past this 12 months, whereas the PGA Tour briefly threatened to grab Smith and Rahm by way of a particular, limited-time provide. Although that provide has now lapsed, it stands to motive one other may emerge sooner or later with the PGA Tour clearly open to bringing prime gamers again into the fold.
It locations added significance on the success of people who LIV have recruited to flourish into massive names in their very own rights.
Herbert goes in on OWGR over rankings | 00:35
Within the absence of any big-name signings, recruits have more and more trended towards younger gamers, resembling Smylie, who aren’t superstars, however have the potential to be so. Puig and Ballester are earlier examples, whereas champion faculty golfer Michael La Sasso was this 12 months plucked as one other prospect.
Mixed with the particular take care of the DP World Tour — and the very fact his recruitment left foundational participant Matt Jones and not using a spot on LIV Golf — Smylie has added weight on his shoulders in his debut 12 months.
Even so, that strain comes with alternative. And on the load of early proof, it’s one which Smylie is able to grasp.
He is aware of that he’s already “gained the respect of every participant on the tour”, however he made it clear in Adelaide that that is only the start.
“I believe the essential factor for me … is simply not get too complacent with what we achieved final week, which was one thing important,” Smylie mentioned.
“I believe we now wish to look ahead and search for the following mountain to climb…”