Cameron Smith joined the growing rebellion of players to join the LIV Golf Series, turning his back on the PGA Tour. The LIV Golf Series has stoked controversy in golf as many leading players have opted to pursue the riches of the new tour instead of remaining on the PGA Tour and DW World Tour. It has not been met with universal approval as many of the other stars to remain in the traditional ranks have criticized their colleagues for the move.
Few can argue about the riches on offer for players as Dustin Johnson claimed a staggering $3.4 million for winning the LIV Golf Invitational-Boston. However, for players such as Smith, who enjoyed a breakthrough in the 2022 season and won The British Open to claim his first major, the question is whether the LIV Golf Series will allow him to remain at the forefront of the game.
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Smith is backed at 12/1 in the golf betting odds to win the first major of the 2023 season, The Masters at Augusta, to continue his rise up the world rankings. He should have been leading the international team into the Presidents Cup, where they are backed at 6/1 to beat the USA in the Presidents Cup 2022 odds.
The Australian has been barred from participating due to his presence in the LIV Golf Series. It is one of a number of contested issues that the breakaway group has posed, and has even affected the Ryder Cup with Henrik Stenson being stripped of the European captaincy for his decision to sign up. For Smith, it does represent a huge gamble in his continued development.
Fans of golf will have been familiar with his exploits for the 2022 season, but those who have a casual interest may have been surprised by his performances in the majors. Outside of the US Open he was a model of consistency, finishing in third place at The Masters and 13th at the PGA Championship to go with his triumph in the British Open at St Andrews.
Part of the reason why he was able to sustain his form throughout the year would be the PGA Tour. Smith was nominated for Player of the Year on the PGA Tour due to his win at The Open along with victories in The Players Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. The schedule of the PGA Tour is set in stone so players know where they will be playing and when. It allows them to tailor their own schedule and to suit their own respective games to ensure that they’re in prime form for the majors.
The 29-year-old used the schedule and the standard of the competition to ensure that he was operating at the peak of his powers throughout the year. The LIV Golf Series is still figuring out their own schedules and style in the fledgling days of the operation.
There will be clarity at some point, but for a player such as Smith who has enjoyed his breakthrough, he would certainly have been better off remaining in the PGA Tour system. There he has the structure and the high standard of competition that took him to the top. His decision to turn his back on the PGA Tour looks to be rash and could be a detriment to his form in 2023 and beyond.
