Cam Smith Says LIV Schedule Didn’t Benefit Performance at Open Championship

Cam Smith’s schedule leading up to the Open Championship this past season did not benefit his performance, and LIV Golf is “aware” of it.

LIV’s season took players to Valderrama last year just a week before the final Major Championship of the year, which took place at Royal Troon. The drastic changes in weather and climate did not bode well for their game.

Smith was transparent about it:

“It was really two polar opposites of golf. It was really hot [in Spain], the ball was going a long way up in altitude, and then getting on to links where it’s quite cold and windy, it’s probably not the best prep. It’s definitely something that we spoke about. They (LIV) are well aware of that.”

The pop putting stroke of Cam Smith.

Mesmerizing pic.twitter.com/A8RVozyiDD

— LKD (@LukeKerrDineen) October 29, 2024

Anyone who plays golf knows the Summer months are particularly favorable for distance. Warm air is less dense than cold air, so there is less resistance for the ball to drag through. This results in longer ball flight. When it gets colder, things tend to go shorter.

Jon Rahm said that LIV was going to make a change that would allow LIV to get links golf courses scheduled before The Open. Earlier this year, he said to Golf Digest:

“There’s so much that goes into adjusting to links golf, getting used to the greens and the ball reacting on the ground. I didn’t think about it until after [Troon], but it’s undeniable how much it helps to play a links golf course the week before the Open. Obviously, LIV management have contracts in place with some venues and plans in the future. It’s not as easy as it sounds to just say, ‘Well, let’s do this.’ [But] it’d be something I would like to talk to other players [on LIV] about because that way, there’s strength in numbers if five, six or 10 solid players [all agree]. I think a lot of people might agree with it.”

Here’s our report on it:

Jon Rahm Hoping for Big Change at LIV Golf: ‘I’m Pushing for It’

Smith recent said that LIV has made him a much happier person for getting to spend some time during the offseason in his native Australia.

Cover Image via NPR