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LIV Golf has successfully poached a number of notable names since setting out to take on the PGA Tour, and you could argue Cam Smith is the crown jewel of the group of players who’ve defected to the upstart league over the past year or so.
2022 was a very good year for the Australian who followed up his win at The Players Championship with the first major victory of his career by outdoing the rest of the field at The British Open.
Smith’s outstanding play was enough to earn the second spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, which is where he was sitting when he decided to go out on top by inking a deal with LIV that was reportedly worth $100 million.
While he may have lost the parking space that had previously been reserved for his car at TPC Sawgrass, the man known for his signature mustache and magnificent mullet was probably more than happy to forfeit that perk in exchange for a massive payday.
Last year, Smith revealed Rory McIlroy did what he could to convince him to remain loyal to the PGA Tour, and while the Northern Irishman may have some beef with some people affiliated with LIV Golf (primarily Patrick Reed and sworn enemy Greg Norman), it doesn’t appear he’s holding a grudge against his former tourmate.
Smith discussed the fallout of his decision to make the leap to LIV on a recent episode of The Howie Games podcast where he denied he’s been subjected to any major backlash from guys who’ve stuck with the PGA Tour, saying:
“All the guys that I was mates with are still my mates. No one has told me to p*** off or not talk to them ever again.
I’d like to think that I’m a pretty easy person to talk to and if anyone ever wanted to confront me, I’m all about talking about it and making sure they’re comfortable with it as well.
It’s not my spot to step on anyone’s toes and that’s the last thing I wanted to do. It’s just a move I felt was right for my career.”
I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d love to believe any interaction between LIV golfers and guys on the PGA Tour is a back-alley brawl waiting to erupt, but it seems like the reality is much less juicy.