Smith finds support calling out Australian Open conditions after opening round birdie blitz

Debate over course conditions continued to rage as the Australian Open began with bunkers full of water a feature of the opening round.

Asked if his shoes were dry at the end of his round at a waterlogged Victoria Golf Club on Thursday Cam Smith smiled and said “yes”.

It was a close run thing though, having been among the many who had to play out of bunkers filled with water, which also sat in large pools next to fairways after a series of almighty Melbourne downpours dumped around 4omm of rain on the eve of the opening round of the Australian Open.

Smith’s LIV teammate Lucas Herbert, who stormed to the lead with a final hole eagle and an eight-under 63, said the deluge was “bad timing” given his Ripper GC skipper’s lashing of the softness of the sandbelt layouts with raging debate over conditions dominating the start of the event.

After Smith labelled Melbourne’s big wet a “bullshit” excuse for how soft the traditionally hard courses had become, tournament officials were adamant they had high hopes for a hard course but available evidence suggested it was impossible to get.

Cam Smith plays his 2nd shot in the bunker at the 2nd hole . Picture: Michael Klein

Questions continued to be asked on Thursday amid various versions of what had been done to prepare the courses which were the “hard and fast” challenge most expected when American visitor Harry Higgs played them a fortnight ago.

The course had been too hard and “needed a drink” according to some. But the overriding feeling, from male players at least, was that the courses, being used for men’s and women’s events, were not as hard as they could be.

After a bogey-free opening round lead, Herbert said “tougher pins” could have been in place, given some softness was almost unavoidable after the lashings of rain which hit both courses, only 5km apart, across Wednesday afternoon and evening.

“It’s a little frustrating seeing where some of the pins are. I think we could probably go harder and for a national Open,” he said.

A groundskeeper pumps away excess water. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

“So, I get where (Smith) is coming from. It wouldn’t have looked good saying it and then having the disaster of an afternoon weather-wise we had come through and it’s like ‘well, I don’t really care how firm the golf course was Wednesday morning. you had no chance this afternoon, so you had no chance a day later’.“

Marc Leishman bit his tongue, but didn’t, suggesting the easier pins had been the “same for the past three years”.

That three year period coincides with the three dual-gender events, first held in 2022.

“There’s probably a lot I can say, but I’m not going to say it,” the affable Victorian said.

Marc Leishman plays from a free drop after landing in a water-filled bunker. Picture: Michael Klein

Higgs, who knows little about how turbulent Melbourne weather could be, said the issue of hard courses softening up for events was not isolated to the Australian Open but conceded the course this week was not what he expected.

“I came here early and it did seem a little softer and slower than it normally is, or ever is,” the American said after shooting five-under at Victoria.

“I get it. You’d do that in the States too. You play somebody’s golf course three weeks earlier and it’s really firm and fast, then we show up for a tour event and it’s soft and slow.

“Without getting too mean – I couldn’t even pretend how to put these events on, it’s very difficult – I’m getting tired of playing target golf.”

Harry Higgs plays out of the trees at Victoria Golf Club. Picture: NewsWire / Blair Jackson

Despite his well-voiced critique of the overall way the two courses had been set-up, Smith had full praise for the work done by staff just to get players away on Thursday morning, adamant the large areas which were still impacted, didn’t impact his game.

“I think the green staff did an awesome job,” he said, conscious to ensure his early criticisms were of the lead-in set-up plans.

“I think there’s still pumps going on out there, so yeah, there was a lot of water around, but not too much of it was kind of in play in your vision, so it was fine.”

A status the the tournament, in its current format at least, is not enjoying, with discord about the two tournaments running alongside reaching, possibly, a point of no return.