Will he or won’t he?
The future of Cameron Smith remains in question following the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday. Will the world’s No. 2-ranked golfer, whose three-win season includes the British Open and The Players Championship, leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf?
Smith has been long rumored to be leaving for LIV Golf. He has yet to say so publicly. He declined to speak to reporters several times at the Tour Championship, including after the final round Sunday, where he finished 20th at 9 under in the modified scoring system.
The loss of the 29-year-old Smith would be the biggest to date, according to Billy Horschel, his friend and playing partner in the final round Sunday at East Lake Golf Club.
“If he happens to go, he would be the biggest loss – in my mind,” Horschel said. “You look at his age. You look at what he’s accomplished. You look at how he’s played in star-studded events. And look at the person he is. He is a great kid. He represents himself very well, and he does it the right way. So, yeah, if he happens to go, it would be the biggest loss in my mind because I’m biased. He’s one of my best friends. It would be one of those bias things that he would be the biggest story to leave the PGA Tour at this point in time.”
Smith has only said that his focus was the Tour Championship and declined to address the rumors that began with fellow Australian Cameron Percy saying Smith was leaving for LIV.
“My goal here is to win the FedEx Cup playoffs,” Smith said earlier this year. “That’s all I’m here for. If there’s something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV, it will come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy. I’m a man of my word, and whenever you guys (reporters) need to know anything, it’ll be said by me.”
Smith was sixth in the FedEx Cup point standings heading into the Tour Championship, dropping from third after last week’s BMW Championship. He started fifth after Will Zalatoris withdrew due to injury. He has six career wins, including three this season. While Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka may have the biggest name recognition of those who have left for the controversial Saudi-backed golf league, Smith has the biggest current standing.
“He’s my friend,” Horschel said. “He’s a really good friend of mine. So I don’t know what he’s going to do. Obviously, there are a ton of rumors. He hasn’t told me one way or another if he’s leaving or not. As I’ve told him since he won the Open Championship, I’ve told him a lot, I’m a big fan of his. I love the kid to death. I think the world of him. He’s got a massive heart. I’ve always got his back. As I’ve said to him the last month, whatever he decides, I’m still going to be his friend. I’m still going to have his back. I’m still going to love the kid to death. We are still going to hang out and go fishing. But I’m going to miss him if he decides to go because I won’t see him as much out here on tour.”
There was little fan reaction to Smith joining LIV at the Tour Championship. One fan was heard to yell “Live for the moment” on the first tee Sunday.
Smith would appear to have a five-year exemption to the Masters as the winner of the British Open. It’s unclear whether Augusta National would honor the exemption. The PGA Tour has suspended players who have left for LIV Golf.
Horschel said Smith is not unlike a lot of Australian players who would love to win the Masters. He said Smith has the game to compete at all the majors. Horschel also said should Smith choose to leave, he doubts he would be a part of potential lawsuits from LIV golfers in an attempt to also play the PGA Tour or earn world golf ranking points for their events.
“I don’t sell anyone on anything,” Horschel said. “I try to tell them how much I appreciated them as people, as players or as people and who they are and how much I would love for them to stay out here and compete on the PGA Tour, but at the end of the day, if someone is going to make a decision or their mind is already made up, that is obviously their decision. … I (say I) would love for you to stay out here. I would love to still compete against you, but if you happen to go, you happen to go. That’s what I’ve told a lot of those guys.”
Smith earned $640,000 for his 20th-place finish at the Tour Championship, a dramatic drop from the $3 million prize for fifth place where he began the tournament.
Rory McIlroy has become somewhat of a spokesperson for the PGA Tour in the ongoing drama in professional golf. He reiterated his sentiments following his dramatic victory, coming from six strokes back to win the FedEx Cup for the third time.
“This is the best place in the world to play golf,” McIlroy said. “It’s the most competitive. It’s got the best players. It’s got the deepest fields. I don’t know why you’d want to play anywhere else.”
On to the Presidents Cup
Now that the Tour Championship is over, attention turns to the Presidents Cup, the match-play event that pits the United States against an International contingent. The event is Sept. 22-25 at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.
Last week, six of the 12-man U.S. team was set with automatic qualifiers. Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau earned spots. The Tour Championship was the final proving ground for Davis Love III to evaluate his final six captain’s pick selections.
The next eight players on the point standings list were at East Lake for the Tour Championship, including No. 7 Zalatoris who pulled out with a back injury and has already indicated he won’t be able to play in the Presidents Cup. That leaves Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Horschel, Young, Tom Hoge and J.T. Poston, in order, behind the automatic qualifiers.
Love could pick the next six in order. He could also go beyond those players for Poston. He could even dip below the top 14, but that seems unlikely. The announcement of the captain’s picks is scheduled for Sept. 7.
“A lot,” Hoge said earlier this week when asked about the pressure this week to make the Presidents Cup team. “I mean, I’ve never really been in this position before, and certainly don’t know how many more times in my career I’ll be right on the edge of making one of these teams. I’ve really tried to play well and maybe put too much pressure on myself the last few weeks, but I guess it’s simple at this point, just go and try to play well and that takes care of itself.”
Homa called making the Presidents Cup his “biggest driving force.”
Winners and losers, monetarily speaking
When considering the big-money winners/losers after a week of golf at East Lake, always start at the top. With starting positions determined by FedEx Cup points, McIlroy began the Tour Championship in sixth place, six shots back of points leader Scheffler. He made up all that ground plus one to claim the $18 million prize. That’s only, oh, a $7.5 million bump for what he stood to win for sixth.
Conversely, Scheffler went from having a grip on $18 million to a tie for second and a $5.75 million payday. Hardly a hardship.
Other big movers, first the up:
Sungjae Im, starting the week in ninth (which pays $1.25 million), finishing T-2 ($5.75 million).
Homa, starting 15th ($760,000), finishing T5 ($1.75 million).
Hoge, starting 22nd ($600,000), finishing 10th ($1 million).
Aaron Wise, starting last in the field, 29th ($510,000) to T13 ($825,000).
Then the down:
Cantlay, starting second ($6.5 million), finishing T7 ($1.75 million).
Burns, starting fourth ($4 million), finishing 24th ($564,000).
Scott Stallings, starting 11th ($950,000), finishing 29th ($510,000).
Sepp Straka among best of first-timers
Sepp Straka, who grew up in Valdosta and attended the University of Georgia, was the highest-rated first-time player entering the Tour Championship at No. 9. He finished T-7 (16 under) after shooting 68 in the final round.
“I had played here a few times before, and I knew the course kind of suited me pretty well,” Straka said. “Honestly, didn’t have my best game this week, but I just kind of put it together. When the driver was off, my putter was on. When my putter was off, my driver was on, so I never really got in trouble, which was nice. Kind of pieced it together. Overall, very happy with the week.”
Straka had 19 birdies and seven bogeys on the weekend. He entered the tournament 4 under, tied with Smith (who finished 9 under), Finau (15 under), Im (20 under) and the eventual winner McIlroy, who finished 21 under.
Fans continuously serenaded the 29-year-old Straka with Georgia-related cheers, ranging from “How ‘bout them Dogs?” to simply barking, a universal language in the Bulldogs’ realm.
“It was awesome,” Straka said of his experience and the local support. “A lot of Georgia fans, a lot of friends from high school, and family and friends that came to watch. The support was huge, and it was a great time.”
