Ahead of his first major as a LIV player, the 2023 Masters, Smith talked about the breakaway tour and admitted: “I’ll be the first to say the fields are not as strong.”
LIV has gone from strength to strength since its early days. Indeed, one of their players, Spain’s David Puig, was a sensational winner in Brisbane last Sunday.
But two years ago at Augusta, Smith also talked about the importance of LIV members competing well in major tournaments and the methodical performance of some of them. The following month, Brooks Koepka won the US PGA Championship.
Then in June 2024, Bryson DeChambeau broke McIlroy’s heart by winning the US Open. But the thing to note is that both of them are unusual American characters.
Because of his pomp, Koepka has always performed at his best in major tournaments, while not caring much about the week-to-week events on the PGA Tour.
And DeChambeau is very specific in everything he does. That’s far from a reliable case study when looking for trends.
Smith’s decline — and the fact that Jon Rahm hasn’t finished higher than seventh in any major since switching to LIV in 2024 — arguably provide more compelling clues.
Rahm has failed to finish in the top five at eight majors, including the two wins he earned before leaving the PGA Tour. And although he won the individual standings of LIV this year, the Spaniard failed to achieve a single tournament victory.
He was a strong supporter of moving LIV to a 72-hole tournament from the following year. And while this change may help the league gain official ranking points, its significance goes far beyond that.
The longer format means the better golfers are more likely to prosper and it better prepares them for the demands of the majors. Smith has not had a good run at that level since finishing tied sixth at the 2024 Masters.
Another Australian, Min Woo Lee, clarified last month that he was not going to move to LIV, despite rumors.
The Perth star cited his desire to remain in the world top 50 to retain Masters status, but he also noted Smith’s decline.
“Cam was one of the best players in the world before moving to LIV and I hope he can continue to grow,” Lee said.
“Great golfers, over time, if there are more holes, they’ll probably come out on top. So hopefully we can see some good golf from them.”
This week’s Open on his home turf on Melbourne’s spectacular sandbelt would be a great place to start for Smith.
He remains a popular figure, but he needs something more than a flashy number plate to remind him of past glories.
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