Getty Image / Juan Luis Diaz / Quality Sport Images
LIV Golf kicks off its 2024 season this week with the Mayakoba LIV Golf Invitational which will be held at the stunning El Camaleón Golf Course, a golf course that meanders through pristine mangrove estuaries teeming with game fish like bonefish and juvenile tarpon.
Cam Smith, captain of LIV‘s Ripper GC team, is an avid fisherman. He fishes any chance he has at his home in Florida. And he didn’t miss the chance to bust out a rod during Ripper GC’s practice round in Mayakoba ahead of the tournament.
Did he catch a tarpon, bonefish, or permit? Did he see at least one of those fish and take his shot with a fly rod? He sure did.
Throwing a fly fishing rod in the golf bag was an interesting choice. There’s zero doubt in my mind this was because in previous years at Mayakoba he saw all of the fish in the shallows and got tired of not being able to cast at them. But Cam Smith should have used a Tenkara rod or something similar to take a few shots at bonefish.
Cam Smith is Australian and grew up fishing. This made living in Florida, where I grew up, a perfect fit for him as Florida is the fishing capital of the world. Oddly, you have to go back to 2021 to find Cam Smith sharing fishing pics on his ‘gram:
The former Open Championship winner hopes to get off to a hot start this week in Mexico. Hopefully, Cam Smith won’t be too distracted by the fish and can focus on golf.