Cameron Smith is back in shape just in time to defend his open title at Liverpool. Photo: PA/Richard Sellers
Perhaps this is the perfect time for Cameron Smith to remind that sledding doesn't necessarily work for Australians. “It had the opposite effect on me last year,” he says.
The setting is the 150th Open at St. Golf was laying out a welcome mat at home.
“I think it was on the 14th, when I was in the middle of this series of birds [Smith listed five in a row from the 10th], and these guys suddenly said : “He's coming for you, Rory [McIlroy] will.” hunt you down, you have no chance…” and all that shit,” he says.
“I couldn't think of an answer, but I just said to myself, 'Let your golf speak for itself.' It actually happened at the right time, because when you're in one of those races, there's a chance you get carried away and lose focus a little. But these guys just set me on fire to go over and over and keep my mind focused. Gave me the motivation to shut them up.”
The old course was stunned. McIlroy's victory parade on this special anniversary was hijacked by a bogan from Brisbane with a mullet. “Sports don't follow clear scripts, do they?” says a 29-year-old man. Smith laughs when told that this is tantamount to killing Bambi at a golf game. “Well, buddy, I don't know who Bambi is,” Smith replies.
“All I know is that I was a little behind on the corner, had to make a move and did it. I love those situations where you don't even feel the stick in your hands, when you don't think, you just swing and putt. It's almost like a trance. So much fun.”
What I didn't like was the interview in the media center after the Golf Champion of the Year… on the 18th course. After 15 questions, the Saudi elephant in the room blew his trumpet.
All week long rumors swirled that Smith would be next to join LIV Golf, and a golf correspondent from the Press Association dared to ask what the corps thought.
“Yes, it was unpleasant,” says Smith. . “It was the biggest event that is likely to happen in my career, and it is thrown into my eyes. Looking back, I realize it was just a guy trying to do his job. And he apologized at the beginning of the question. I rewatched the final round – and I get goosebumps – but I won't be watching the winner's interview, no.”
“I haven't seen my mom or sister in three years”
Smith claims that at that point he had not yet signed a contract, and there was still a lot of soul-searching to navigate. “People always think they know everything, but they don't,” he says.
“As an Open champion I have a new responsibility and I called Martin Slumbers [CEO of R&A] to tell him what I think. Martin was a gentleman and told me that I would always be welcomed back. Yes, there were several sleepless nights, worrying about what others would think, but you can’t live like that. You must do what is right for you and your family.”
Smith admitted that the upfront payment, thought to be around £100m, was a huge factor, but it's not the only carrot. “I think for many Australians, the pandemic has shown how far from home we are,” he says. “I haven't seen my mother or sister for three years.”
“LIV allowed me to come back much more often than otherwise. I can get maybe three months after our last event in October – and I'm already back this year. For me, this is a huge plus.”
'The best time I've had with a jug'
The LIV event in Adelaide in April showed how much Smith is adored by the Australian public. Late last year, he became the first to bring back the Claret Jug since [LIV CEO] Greg Norman 30 years ago.
“That was amazing, mate,” Smith says. “The best time I had with the pitcher was when I took it to my childhood club in Brisbane, for a small community course, and all the members drank from it. However, probably my favorite moment was when my fiancée [Chanel Nahum] went to work one morning and I thought, “You know what, I'm going to drink coffee out of this.”
“It might sound a little silly, but it was cool. You can keep a copy, but it will be heartbreaking when I have to return the correct copy at the start of the week. I just hope it will only be a few days before I get my hands on it again.”
Smith comes with the obvious opportunity to become the first successful reigning Open champion since Padraig Harrington 15 years ago. Last Sunday, he won the LIV at Hemel Hempstead in impressive and ominously familiar style, with his stick back to its former dominance.
”It's fair to say that my game is back where it used to be, if not further. The most important thing for me was to work on this driver and fix it. It is in the best location it has been in a very long time. I'm not sure I've ever felt so comfortable on the ball. It's just a case of hitting putts.”
Smith often thought it was as easy to do as it was to say. He earned himself the status of one of the best, if not the best, clubs of his era.
“It's weird to say, but I just try to get a good shot and not worry too much if I hit the hole or not. I think people are too worried about hole punches. I keep believing that they will start to fall and they seem to be now. It could be a good week in Liverpool if this continues.”
It could indeed be a very special few golden and green days in the North West of England. “I didn't know until someone said the Ashes were passing about 30 miles from Manchester during the tournament,” he says.
“I am a fan of cricket. Most of my close friends I know from cricket, which I played as a boy, although I was very average. The type of player who likes to look from the edge. Lately, all the WhatsApp groups have been dedicated to Ashes, and I will definitely watch them in between rounds and training. It should end on Sunday, right? I think it could be a great day for Australians.”
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