'I am still here to play' - Cameron Smith driven to win on biggest stage despite LIV Golf move

Published 11/10/2022 at 06:50 GMT

LIV Golf has divided the sport, but it cannot be doubted that it has made an impact with the capture of a host of star names - albeit for huge signing bonuses and contracts. Cameron Smith was the biggest fish of all, with the Saudi-funded series signing the Australian on the back of his win at the Open Championship. He has dismissed the notion that he has swapped competition for money.

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Cameron Smith hopes his debut win on LIV Golf demonstrates to the sport that he is still a force on the biggest stage.

Smith turned his back on the PGA Tour following his win at the Open Championship, joining LIV after being handed a contract worth a reported $140 million.

One of the biggest criticisms of LIV from the established tours is the players are handed huge riches before even teeing it up, meaning the incentive to compete is lessened.

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Smith has dismissed the notion that the 48-player, 54-hole, no-cut scenario is an exhibition event, claiming the competition on the circuit is fierce.

"You only have to look at the quality of the field - there's 50 percent of the major winners the last five or six years," Smith said following the latest event in Bangkok.

Smith finished down the field in Bangkok, but won on his second appearance in Chicago and hopes it served notice to the rest of the golfing world that he has not moved into retirement.

“I am playing some of the best golf of my life,” Smith told ABC Grandstand.

“To prove that to people that I am still here to win golf tournaments and to play good golf was a massive internal confidence booster.

“Hopefully the rest of the golfing world realises that I am still here to play.

“Hopefully going forward with majors and everything, I am still able to be at the top of the leaderboard.”

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Smith also dismissed suggestions that there is a lack of competition in LIV Golf.

"The field is strong," he said. "It is obviously a little bit shorter, with 48 guys in the field. I think six or seven major winners over the past three or four years have signed with LIV and the competition is still there.

“When you're playing against guys like Dustin Johnson, it still makes you think for sure."

Smith will head to Jeddah on October 13 for the next LIV Golf event before its debut season concludes in Miami at the end of the month.

The world No. 3 will then head for home, and revealed he is looking forward to getting to Brisbane and playing in the Australian PGA in his native Queensland.

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