You’ve got lots of cash, Cam, but where’s your golf game gone?

Told yers. But you wouldn’t listen. And neither would Cameron Smith. And now look what’s happened!

“Don’t go to LIV, Cam the Man,” I said. “You’ll regret it,” I said. “You’re too good a bloke to associate yourself with those oceans of Saudi blood money and no matter that they’ll pay you a reported $220 million, LIV will never have a scintilla of the honour, glory and history of a tournament like the Masters.

“Everyone, and I mean everyone including you, knows the score on LIV. It’s the money, and no endless blather about it being ‘good for the game of golf’ changes that. LIV is a cancer on an otherwise fabulous sport. You will be their most significant signing. They’re paying you for your cred. You will be blamed for making the monster grow. With the whole world at your feet right now, do you really need to go down in history as the bloke who turned the civil war of golf very uncivil indeed, the one who gave LIV cred – yours?”

That was nigh on three years ago. In the wake of the fabulous Masters just gone, at which your humble correspondent exulted about that final playoff hole between Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose being as good as sport gets, Smith – who didn’t make the cut – made some huge headlines, after comments by one of the top US golf analysts, Brandel Chamblee, went viral around the globe.

“When I thought about Cam Smith as a golfer,” Chamblee said, “to me he was analogous to Tom Watson – a phenomenal scrambler, deadly putter, unbelievable under pressure. He could hit it long, he could hit it high, he was a little wild and unpredictable, but it looked to me like he could go on to become one of the true greats in the game of golf. And to see him go to LIV, it really broke my heart. I understand people make decisions based upon their own economics, but he was on his trajectory to be one of the greats.”

Rory McIlroy wins the Masters at Augusta.Credit: Getty Images

Oh, but Chamblee was only warming up.

“I miss him ... but like most of the LIV players, with the exception of a few, they might as well be in the witness protection program. You don’t see them except for four times a year and you hardly see them then because almost all of their games have decayed.”

And why is that, Brandel? Tell us now, tell us true.

“They’re not playing high-level competition. The courses aren’t set up in championship ways and we can talk about whether or not they are motivated because they have all been contractually paid to play these events. Is it the best way to sharpen the knife? I don’t think it is. They are all flushed with cash. I’m sure they are all enjoying their boats and their cars and their houses, but they are ‘at bottom’ golfers.”

And LIV, Brandel? What do you think of that?

“People watch sports because it matters. There’s nothing that matters about LIV. None of it matters and everybody knows that. It hardly draws an audience here in the United States after three or four years and upwards of $US10 billion. [Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson have gone from being] two of the most popular people in the history of the game to being two of the biggest pariahs. They left for greedy, selfish reasons and then tried to take a flamethrower to the PGA Tour.”

What he said.

Let’s all take a chill pill

Meantime, as I’ve also noted, “when it comes to hyperbolic hypocrisy, when it comes to bullying bastardry, when it comes to sheer shittiness in rugba league, I think [in the Lachie Galvin saga] we have a post-war record, yes?”

Yes. As you know Galvin is the 19-year-old wunderkind of the recently resuscitated Wests Tigers, a young man, who, despite his talents, earlier in the week declined to sign a $5.5 million offer by the Tigers for five more years of his services.

One of the reasons, quietly proffered by his management was because he thought he might become a better player under another coach, rather than his current coach Benji Marshall. It was at this point that the aforesaid hyperbolic hypocrisy, bullying bastardry, and sheer shittiness took off as a group of players, such as Jarome Luai, who themselves had taken the money to come to the Tigers, went public in their apparent vilification of the young man on social media, while for his part Benji Marshall dropped him to reserve grade. For what sin, exactly, was not made clear – and it’s important.

On Thursday in a tightly scripted press conference, Marshall tried to pull it all back, resolutely denying that the Tigers had presided over anything approaching bullying and all was calm.

Lachie Galvin and coach Benji Marshall make eye contact at Tigers training on Thursday.Credit: Renee Nowytarger

“We need to just take a chill pill on the things we’re saying about him,” Marshall insisted, “and to him, and the threats and all that stuff ... So let’s just chill with all the shit that’s coming his way, and just let him play footy. I don’t think he’s being bullied by the other players. We don’t stand for bullying, and I spoke to the team this morning about it — that’s not us. We’re not bullies, our players are not bullies. They had an emotional reaction ... but it’s not bullying.”

“Let’s just chill”? Now there’s an idea! And you don’t think he’s being bullied? Well, that’s potentially of legal importance.

Because if you did hypothetically think a Tigers employee was being bullied and perhaps suffering psychological harm, and did nothing about it – or even acted in a manner where the possible psychological harm was exacerbated –the Tigers could find themselves a long way up metaphorical Legal Shit Creek without a paddle.

While the Tigers might be a football team, they’re also an employer, owing a duty of care to their employees. And in February the High Court of Australia handed down a groundbreaking decision in a matter of Elisha v Vision where it held that Elisha could recover damages for psychiatric injury arising from a breach of the employment contract by an employer.

I have zero legal qualifications, and no inside knowledge of what is happening in the middle of all the machinations – and I don’t suggest this particular saga will end up in the courts. But that case also established that damages could also be recovered for damages to an employee’s reputation as a consequence of such a breach by an employer. The High Court majority observed: “It has been described as a ‘social reality’ that a person’s employment is usually one of the most important things in his or her life. It gives not only a livelihood but an occupation, an identity and a sense of self-esteem.”

I repeat. When I applied to study at the Sydney University Law School in late 1982, I am reliably informed that the Dean effectively blew his nose with my letter. But to my neophyte legal eyes, I do wonder if there is any possibility that Marshall’s strong remarks about there being no bullying at the Tigers, and everyone needs to pull back, might have been on legal advice that the actions of the Tigers could potentially have not only allowed the bullying of one of their employees, but might also be seen to have damaged Galvin’s reputation when the young man has done nothing wrong at all. The defence rests.

What They Said

Jarome Luai: “I think [Benji Marshall] has [been disrespected. But that’s been dealt with internally”. Thank Gawd for that. Just imagine how ugly it might have been had the whole thing been played out in public!

James Graham, discussing Lachie Galvin on his podcast: “He’ll have the sword of Damocles hanging over his head.” Brandon Smith: “Is that from The Game of Thrones or somethin’?”

Rory McIlroy on his emotional outburst after winning the Masters: “I would say it was 14 years in the making, from going out with a four-shot lead in 2011, feeling like I could have gotten it done there. Yeah, there was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green. A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it. There were points on the back nine today when I thought, ‘Have I let it slip again?’ My battle today was with myself. It wasn’t with anyone else.”

Justin Rose on what he said to McIlroy after the Northern Irishman’s triumph in their momentous playoff: “I said it was pretty cool to be able to share that moment with him. Obviously I wanted to be the bad guy [that beat him], but still, it’s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.” Beyond their golf, both McIlroy and Rose are pure class as men.

An unhappy Shane Lowry, about having to do an interview at the Masters just after he finished a difficult third round: “I’m not going to stand here and talk about Rory for 10 minutes. I’m trying to win the tournament, as well. I know that’s what y’all want me to talk about, but I’ve just had a shit finish, I’ve got a chance to win the Masters tomorrow, and I’m going to go hit some balls.”

Wests Tigers: “We would like to announce that Lachlan Galvin will not be with the club beyond the 2026 season.”

Lachlan Galvin: “I totally understand my decision will frustrate many Wests Tigers fans, but please know that it wasn’t an easy call to make. It’s a decision that I have discussed at length with my parents, closest friends and family. I’m extremely grateful for their love and support in making this call.”

Gout Gout: “Top speed is my gift, so I used it, took off and got sub-20. I couldn’t be happier.”

Spanish golfer Jose Luis Ballester on relieving himself, of all places, at Augusta: “A couple [of] friends reached out just to say hey, ‘You’ll be fine. I’m still your friend’. So yeah, it’s good to have those friends that have your back when the news is not that good about you.”

Josh Kroenke of the family sports empire that owns the Denver Nuggets, LA Rams, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal after sacking the Nuggets coach on the day Arsenal had a good win: “I mean, last Tuesday was the craziest Tuesday that I could have ever imagined. I had the worst morning that I’ve had in over 10 years with the Nuggets followed by the most amazing afternoon I could have ever asked for with the Arsenal Football Club. We beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the Champions League ... On a human level, that was a rough Tuesday for me. It was all over the place.” No doubt.

Postecoglou before the Europa Cup quarter-final in Frankfurt.Credit: Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou after his Tottenham team made it to the semis of the Europa League: “I’m the same coach that I was yesterday. The players have never lost belief. People like to mock and diminish my achievements but I’ll leave that there.” Oh, and one more thing. “Unfortunately, for a lot of you, you are going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer.”

British tennis player Harriet Dart, while losing 6-0, 6-3 to Lois Boisson, overheard during a changeover in the second set, to an official: “Can you ask her to put on deodorant? She smells really bad.” Dart later apologised.

Team of the Week

Rory McIlroy. Beat Justin Rose in the Masters, to nail his first major in eleven years and become one of just six players in golfing history to have completed the Grand Slam of majors – and the first European.

Wests Tigers. Just when they thought it was safe to get back in the water, have completely and utterly mismanaged their 19 year-old wunderkind Lachie Galvin, which sees him playing reserve grade and looking for an exit, while they’re looking like a shambolic mess who are eating their own.

Gold Coast Suns. Last undefeated AFL side this season. Stop the world – I want to get off.

Ange Postecoglou. Guided Tottenham, oh ye of little faith, into the semi-final of the Europa League, whatever that is. (But I’m told a VERY big deal.) Rah!

Georgia Amoore. Aussie basketballer taken at #6 pick by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft.

Waratahs. Scored the try of the season, extending 120 M, to beat the table-topping Chiefs, 21-14. As noted by Iain Payten, it rested on “a star performance from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and [resulted in] the first organic ‘New South Wales’ chant from a Waratahs crowd in a long, long time.”