Golf 2022: Secret chat between Cam Smith and Ian Baker-Finch and the $150m dollar question
Respected Australian golfing great Ian Baker-Finch urged Cam Smith in a private chat to stay with the traditional tour — but had to make one concession.
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When Cam Smith called Ian Baker-Finch to ask for crucial advice on the contract that would change his life he felt as if he was talking to his father.
It was a poignant coincidence because at one crucial point Baker-Finch even referenced the advice he would give if Smith was his son.
Much like Smith’s father Des, Baker-Finch was honest, direct and pulled no punches which was just what Smith was looking for in the week after winning the 150th British Open as he wrestled with an offer believed to be $150 million to join Greg Norman’s LIV golf.
In a compelling argument from one of golf’s most respected voices, Baker-Finch sprouted the virtues of Smith staying where he was on the PGA tour, building a legacy, becoming world No. 1 and winning more majors.
But he couldn’t hang up the phone without making one major concession.
“In the very last night line of our conversation I said “look … if I was your dad I would be telling you to take the money,’’ Baker-Finch told News Corp.
“I really hoped Cam wouldn’t go because I felt he had the ability to be No. 1 in the world and create a huge name for himself like Adam Scott has done over the years like Greg Norman did himself.
“In saying that I totally understand it. How can you turn down $150-$200 million? I mean I can’t even imagine it. I talked to him for a long while and more than once. I said I would love you to stay. I think you can create a really great legacy. Win more majors. Put your name on top of those world rankings.
“But I will be honest with you. If someone had offered me $150 million to sign after I won the British Open I would have taken it.’’
Smith was glad for the chat.
“He (Baker Finch) was one of my best conversations,’’ Smith told News Corp.
“We were on the phone for 30-45 minutes. He was just honest and really blunt. I felt as if I was talking to my old man again.’’
Smith duly signed with LIV and Baker-Finch, while not wanting him to go, holds no grudges against the player he has known since he was a youngster at the Wantima course in Brisbane and whom he captained in last year’s Olympics.
As a board member of the Australian PGA Baker-Finch is thrilled that Smith and fellow Australian LIV star Marc Leishman are back in Australia to play the Australian PGA from November 24 at Royal Queensland Golf Club and the Australian Open at Victoria’s Kingston Heath from December 1.
“It’s going to be a big summer of golf led by Cam with Mark Leishman, Geoff Ogilvie, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert as well. Everyone is going to be here.’’
But behind the scenes the LIV plot is thickening including …
LIV’S MAJOR FUTURE
The British Open has announced it will not ban the LIV players and now the rest of the world is watching closely to see whether the remaining three majors will follow suit.
“My feeling is they won’t ban them,’’ he said.
“I think the majors should allow those exempt to play. Because Cam won the British Open he is eligible for the four majors for five years. He should be allowed to play.’’
WORLD RANKING POINTS
The major gripe of LIV players is that they are not allowed world ranking points and Baker-Finch does not sense a quick resolution.
“There are about 20 tours around the world which have to adhere to certain rules and it typically takes 18 months to get through the process when a new tour wants world ranking points. I don’t know how that will end but there is no way they will say yes or no without going through the system.
“I sense LIV may be asked to have a cut, have more players or play 72 holes rather than 54 holes.’’
THE TENSION
Baker-Finch concedes the tension between the traditional tours and LIV is real.
“I think players who have just gone and just been honest about the fact this is generational money and I have to take it or they like the different aspects of it … I get that. That’s fine.
“And many of the guys are still friends. But the angst comes from guys who have come through pathways on the DP World Tour backstabbing that tour or saying how bad it is. That is the part that irks me. I just don’t think you should bag where you have come from.’’
GREG NORMAN
Baker-Finch was a playing contemporary of LIV tour boss Norman and a fellow Queenslander who he greatly respects but is not overly close to.
“I have always respected and honored his play. He will always have a place in Australian sport and was the best in the world for nearly a decade. He was the main reason the Australian tour prospered in our time.
“You can’t take that back but I have never really had a close relationship with Greg. I was in contact with him via text when he recently lost his dad. That part of back and forth is still there but we haven’t chatted about what is going on.
“He has always had a bit of an issue with the PGA tour and he has been given a platform to show why. It’s just a shame it’s so combative because I don’t think it needs to be that way.’’
THE ‘GOOSE BUMPS’ MOMENT AWAITING SMITH AT HOME
Bakers of Brisbane beware … Cameron Smith is coming home.
“I have not had a decent meat pie in three years … I cannot wait for that,’’ Smith said from his home in Jacksonville, Florida.
Smith’s status in golf – he’s the sport’s new $150 million man and prize signing for Greg Norman’s LIV golf troupe – may have changed since he was last in Brisbane but his tastebuds haven’t.
Reigning British Open champion Smith returns home for the first time in three years this week as the headline act for the Fortinet Australia PGA championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club from November 24-27 and the Australian Open at Victoria’s Kingston Heath from December 1-4.
He will land as a global star, a more mature man and a superior golfer than the understated craftsman who quietly slipped abroad pre-Covid three years ago.
But deep down he hasn’t changed at all.
The self-confessed rev-head hopes to drive a few hot laps of Willowbank Raceway which he occasionally did before his left.
While he has been away his uncle Trev opened a coffee shop at Brendale “so I’m going to turn to up and put a bit of s*** on him.’’
Smith once said he planned to open his own coffee shop when he retired and it’s still a chance even though he might now be able to afford to buy the plantation as well as the shop.
“That is something I would still like to do. I love coffee.’’
Amidst all the promotional mayhem there will be less conspicuous reunion which promises to be one of the great experiences of his life.
Smith will walk through the front door of the laidback Wantima Golf Club where he was raised and greet members who have known him since he was a schoolboy.
He will be carrying the famed Claret Jug which is the trophy from the 150th British Open at St Andrews this year which Ian Baker-Finch calls the biggest major tournament in the history of golf.
“Honestly, I cannot wait for that moment – I am getting goose bumps thinking about it. I just think it is one of the coolest things for a little club like that to have the British Open trophy in its clubhouse. It’s just going to be unreal. I am looking forward to them having a drink out of it.
“I am getting more and more excited by the day. First and foremost it will be awesome to see my extended family and a couple of mates and I think playing golf in front of my home crowd will be massive.’’
It’s been quite a ride for the player who started golf with his clubs contained in a plumbing pipe fastened to his father Des’s bag with his watershed year including …
THE DECISION
Smith’s decision to sign with LIV in a contract speculated to be around $150 million changed the balance of power between LIV and the traditional tours.
Before Smith joined LIV the outfit was criticised as being stocked with former greats in decline. Suddenly they had a newly minted British Open champion.
“It was definitely a stressful time leading up to make all those decisions. I spoke to a lot of good people, my mum and dad a lot of good friends.
“I have absolutely got no regrets. At the start it was definitely scary making a career move like that, it being a fresh tour.
“But from what I have seen over the past five events it is going the right direction.
“I think the fans love it a lot which is really important for our sport because it gets a lot of people playing golf. Even if it is just for a whack here or there and having a beer. The more eyes on golf the better.’’
LIV’S FUTURE
Critics of LIV have questioned whether the Saudi Arabian royal family who launched the project will stay in golf long term.
Smith has no sense of this and believes the concept may last for decades.
“I don’t think they are looking for a short term thing. They have put in a fair bit of money. Over the course of 10, 20, 30 years they are definitely going to see a return.
“I played my first event in Boston and I was blown away by the number of people who were there. The set-up and structure around the golf course was definitely different to what I had been used to. But people love it.
“The music around the golf course. The DJ after the round. You get to see people having a really good time. That’s different to just sitting there and being quiet and having a beer and clapping every five or 10 minutes.
“Team golf has not really existed (on the traditional tours) apart from a couple of events. It’s exciting. For me growing up with sports like cricket and rugby league team sport just makes me feel like a kid again. I have not had that feeling forever so it’s been a really nice change.’’
THE FALLOUT
The traditional tours have been trading barbs with LIV with the likes of Rory McIlroy speaking out against Norman’s men and Scottie Scheffler once appearing to deliberately walk on Smith’s line when he was putting.
But Smith says life has not been uncomfortable.
“I wouldn’t say it has been hard at all. Definitely some of my mates are still out on the PGA tour and they are still my mates. They respect my decision.
“A few of them don’t agree with it but we still have a beer and a laugh and are really good friends. That is the most important thing to me.
“(PGA member) Billy Horschel lives just down the road from me. He has been a big spokesman for the (PGA) tour (yet) he is the one who sticks out for me the most. We still have a laugh and are probably going to go fishing at the end of this week before I go home.’’
Inside the LIV tent Smith has enjoyed the company of, among others, fellow Queenslander Jed Morgan.
“He is one of the best kids you would ever meet, definitely a bit of a larrikin. His golf game has a really high ceiling. He will be one of the best players to come from Australia in the years to come. Jed was one of the first winners of my scholarship so I have known him for four of five years. We have lots of good fishing trips. He’s funny.’’
THEN AND NOW
So what is the difference in Smith from the man who returns from the one who left three years ago?
“I would like to think I am still the same person. The old boy (father Des) would be the first to tell me if I am getting out of line. He is not afraid of a bit of confrontation with me. He hasn’t told me much lately which is nice.
“As a golfer I feel as if I have progressed a lot since I was last home. There has been a lot of hard work and maturing as a golfer and a person as well.
“I just think I don’t let things get to me as much as what they used to. That comes with age. I remember playing in my teenage years and just every bad shot and bad break would really get to me. Now I know so much more about the game. I realise the game of golf isn’t fair sometimes. Just take that on the chin and move on.’’
THE LEGACY
The whisper is that Smith is planning to reinvest some of his earnings into the Australian golf scene but at the moment this is a work in progress.
“I would say there is definitely stuff in the works. Big things like that definitely take time. The most exciting thing for me is to have a LIV event there. I think it will be received really well.
“I have my golf scholarship program through golf Australia and we get the juniors over.
“There is definitely some other stuff in the works.’’
Originally published as Golf 2022: Secret chat between Cam Smith and Ian Baker-Finch and the $150m dollar question
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