Cameron Smith was once near the top of professional golf, but all the 2022 British Open Championship winner feels on the links these days is pain and frustration.
The former world No. 2 entered this week’s home event, the Australian BMW PGA Championship, hoping to snap a winning streak that includes all four major championships this season. Smith missed out on last week’s Saudi International and would have missed out on the Dunhill Links had it not been shortened due to weather.
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The 32-year-old started with a two-under 69 and was in the running for a spot against Royal Queensland before things fell apart in Friday’s second round.
Smith got a birdie on the second hole to move to 3 under, but then dropped shots on the 4th, 11th, 13th and 14th, dropping him below the cut line. With four holes left, the Ripper GC frontman needed to charge hard to play on the weekend, but he played the final four holes at 1 over and headed home for the weekend.
After the second round, Smith also spoke about the shock he felt when he missed the cut.
“Oh, that was the worst,” Smith said, via Golf Digest Australia’s Evin Priest. “If you had told me this morning during warm-ups that this was going to happen, I would have said different things. I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m so confused. I felt good, I was really confident, but nothing went right. It was strange. I practiced a lot between clubs today. I hit a few bad shots that I wanted to hit again. I hit the ball well… hit a lot of nice shots. A tough lie killed me today… and then,” he said, “I couldn’t get up or down.” ”
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Cam Smith is known for his laid-back personality, but it’s clear that his golf rut is taking a toll.
“It can definitely get in your head, I think it gets in my head. It’s just frustrating,” Smith said. “That’s my story this year. I feel like I worked hard all year and didn’t get anything done. I know the answer, just keep working hard and persevering. I’ve been trying to do all the right things, but for some reason it just didn’t work out on the track.”
Smith’s quest to rediscover his game will continue at next week’s Australian Open at the Royal Melbourne complex. Fellow Australian Adam Scott believes the search will be over soon. In golf, one swing can trigger a run.
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“When you’re as good as he is, of course he can do it, and one swing, one chip, one putt here and there can change the momentum and increase your confidence quickly within a hole or two,” Smith said through Priest. “Sometimes it’s really hard to do that, just putting together four good swings and two putts in a row, but that’s how you turn things around and I don’t doubt he can do it.”
Smith’s last win was at LIV Bedminster in August 2023. His last win outside of LIV was at the 2022 Australian PGA Championship.
The post “In my head: LIV star Cam Smith embarrassed by poor form after another missed cut” appeared first on Golf.
