LIV Golf's Cameron Smith takes swipe at PGA Tour: "It's brutal to be honest"
LIV Golf's Cameron Smith says it would break his heart if he were unable to participate The Masters again at Augusta National.
Cameron Smith says it would break his heart if he were unable participate in The Masters again at Augusta National as he claimed his previous schedule was "brutal".
Smith, who joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series after the conclusion of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs earlier this summer for a reported $140m, represents one of the biggest names to have joined Greg Norman's breakaway tour.
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His signing was one of the worst kept secrets in the game and it did not take him long to claim a win on the LIV Golf Tour, taking home $4m for winning the fifth $25m event of their inaugural season in Chicago.
Smith did not fare well in the most recent LIV Golf Invitational in Bangkok - which was won by Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra - as he finished in 42nd place out of the 48 players who teed it up in the shotgun start event, shooting 2-under par after three rounds.
However, he did speak to ABC Grandstand once again about his decision to join LIV.
"I think for me, I'm just really excited to have the opportunity to play around the world again," Smith told the publication.
Then he claimed a taxing schedule also factored into his decision to join the controversial series.
"It's [the PGA Tour's schedule] brutal, to be honest. [But with LIV Golf] having a smaller schedule condensed down into a small period of time, I think we'll be quite busy there for four or five months but I've been able to have some time off and really develop the game."
Before Smith claimed Claret Jug at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in July he also won what is deemed to be golf's "fifth major" with a stunning victory at TPC Sawgrass in March.
Related: Adam Scott tells Cam Smith to "make me an offer"
It involved a gutsy performance where he stiffed his tee shot close to the pin at the iconic par-3 17th hole before getting up-and-down in remarkable fashion at the 72nd hole after finding the water hazard.
After Smith joined the LIV Golf Tour, news reports surfaced that his "reserved" parking spot at TPC Sawgrass was replaced with a generic sign reading "Tour players only".
As one of my FB friends noted, how soon until this sign is removed @TPCSawgrass? I think I will park there Thursday and check. pic.twitter.com/fOoyRInW17
— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) August 30, 2022
It was also reported that photos of his winning moments were also taken down from the clubhouse walls and a replica bag with his clubs was also been removed from the pro shop.
Now LIV players face uncertainty over what will happen with the majors.
"I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get back there," Smith said of Augusta to ABC Grandstand.
"It's a place that I love and I've got a pretty good record around there too. It would be heartbreaking if I couldn't get back there."
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