Cameron Smith says he couldn't believe THIS about the PGA Tour!

Cameron Smith said he thought it was a "joke" when he first heard of it.

13 Jun 2023

LIV Golf star Cameron Smith said he thought last Tuesday's groundbreaking merger news was a "joke" when he first heard of it.

Last week, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) shocked the golf world when they announced they would be coming together to form an entirely new, for-profit entity.

For over a year, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have been caught up in legal battles with LIV Golf, which is financially backed by the PIF.

This new entity will be a combination of the golf-related businesses and rights of all three parties, which includes LIV Golf.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will serve as CEO, while PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will be the board chairman.

Smith, 29, had one of the most controversial departures to LIV Golf last year when it was announced he'd be joining the rival league at the end of the summer.

The Australian was one of the most dominate players on the PGA Tour during the 2021-22 season, winning three times, including the Players Championship and the Open Championship at St Andrews.

Since joining LIV Golf in September, Smith has one win, which came in his second event last season.

Though he's win-less in 2023, he has finished inside the top-10 in four of the seven events, and is ranked fourth on the league's season-long points list.

He's also the top-ranked LIV Golf player in the world (No . 9) ahead of the week in California for the US Open.

While speaking to reporters ahead of the major, Smith said he received a brief call from Al-Rumayyan about 10 minutes before the agreement turned up on the news.

Smith also admitted that he didn't believe it at first.

"I guess the first reaction was I thought it was kind of a joke that had come out, and then H.E. gave me a call and kind of explained what was going on. He didn't really explain too much. I think there's still a lot of stuff to be worked out, and as time goes on, we'll get to know more and more," said Smith. "But there's definitely a lot of curious players, I think, on both sides as to what the future is going to look like."

Smith also said he's still happy with his decision to join the rival league.

"I think I've made the right decision anyway," he told reporters. "I'm very happy with where I'm at. I obviously made that decision for a few different reasons."

He added:

"It's too early to say, I think, with what's going to go on here. Like I said, I know as much as everyone else, and it's going to be interesting to see how the next few months, maybe even year, kind of plays out."

This week, Smith will be in a group with PGA Tour player and reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick for the first two rounds. With them will be Sam Bennett, who turned professional just a few weeks ago.

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