Trouble off the tee hits Cam Smith as his all-Australian team struggles at LIV Adelaide

A horror stat told the tale of the day for Cameron Smith as a successful visitor topped the leaderboard of the LIV event in Adelaide.

Cameron Smith hooked his first tee shot on the opening hole into the fan village way left of the first fairway as the third LIV event began in Adelaide on Friday.

Expectation failed to meet execution for the Australian star who was greeted by thousands of feverish fans lining the hole from tee to green at the Grange Golf Club, eager to see the captain of the defending champs seize the home ground advantage his teammates expected the Ripper GC outfit to have.

Smith got out of trouble, and up and down for par, a feat bettered by his birdie on the 11th hole after carving out a stunning recovery through a corridor of trees after another wayward tee shot.

But scrambling proved the order of the day for all the local lads who rode a rollercoaster of good, bad and brilliant, including Lucas Herbert holing out from a greenside bunker, in a frustrating opening to an event they thirsted for as the most anticipated of the LIV season.

Cameron Smith struggled to find a fairway on Friday. . (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Herbert was the only Australian under par after a one-under 71 and closest to the leader Sam Horsfield, who birdied his final hole to get to six-under, one ahead of a bunch including 2023 Australian Open champ Joaquin Niemann and six-shots ahead of Smith who finished even par and Australian legend Greg Norman said he had some “work to do”.

Smith hit just four of 14 fairways as his wayward ways off the tee, a curse Smith has carried for some time, which made good scoring a struggle.

He drove to the fringe of the green on the 18th hole to give himself a putt for eagle, but made birdie to close with some momentum.

But the Ripper GC foursome, which won the first-ever team playoff in 2024, was tied for ninth on the teams table with only Herbert under par after his opening two-under 70.

Marc Leishman, who made birdie on the party hole 12th for the fourth round in a row, worked his way to a one-over 73 while Matt Jones to highlight the Australian struggles, carding a three-over 74.

Norman, the former LIV CEO, was walking with Smith’s group as an on-course commentator having been moved from the top job to board member and suggested Smith in particular looked out of sync.

“Coming in to the start of the season, Cam’s got a little bit of work do with do with his golf swing, that’s for sure,” he said.

“It’s across the line at the top and it’s only his short game that’s going well.

Some serious high fives 👋@lhgolf5 from the beach for birdie 🙌

Watch LIVE now on @FOXSports@FS1 📺#LIVGolfAdelaide@rippergc_pic.twitter.com/zFZL0cZakq

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 14, 2025

Just two months after he finished tied for fifth in his Australian Open defence at Kingston Heath, Niemann continued his love affair with Australia nailing five back-nine birdies in his six-under 66 to top a leaderboard laced with Latin-American pacesetters including his Torque teammate Carlos Ortiz.

“Australia has always treated me pretty good,” Niemann said.

“I love playing in front of this crowd,m I feel like it gets me going. I have more fun here.

Another former Australian Open champ, Abraham Ancer, was a shot back with major champions Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.

South Australian veteran Wade Ormsby, called in to play the event for the first time as an injury substitute, had a forgettable day on his home track.

A member at Grange, Ormsby, playing for the Ironheads, had seven bogeys an no birdies in a seven-over 79 to sit last.

LIV LEADERBOARD

6-under - Sam Horsfield

5-under - Carlos Ortiz, Joaquin Niemann

4-under - Dustin Johnson, Abraham Ancer, Dustin Johnson

THE AUSSIES

1-under - Lucas Herbert,

Even par - Cameron Smith

1-over - Marc Leishman

3-over - Matt Jones