Cam Smith only sees the positives of LIV Golf, feared he’d be shut out of playing majors

Cam Smith believes the PGA tour is ‘thriving’ off the back of the introduction of LIV Golf. Plus despite his fears, LIV golfers are allowed to play in majors this year.

Australian Cameron Smith lines up his putt on the 8th green during his 2nd round at Kingston Heath. Picture: Michael Klein

British Open champion Cam Smith admits he feared he might have been shut out of playing majors because of his $100 million decision to join LIV Golf.

But Smith says he hasn’t lost a single friend from his move to Greg Norman’s controversial rebel tour as it prepares to play a tournament in Adelaide next month.

Smith’s British Open win last year in theory made him exempt for five years for the four major titles but they only confirmed in recent weeks that LIV golfers were able to play in those prestigious tournaments this year.

He was unable to defend his Players Championship title in recent weeks - a tournament dubbed the fifth major - and instead played at an adjourning nine-hole course with his friends while the tournament was underway.

Cam Smith and fellow LIV golfers are able to play in majors this year. Picture: Getty Images

He told this week’s episode of the Howie Games podcast the appeal of LIV Golf - bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund - was it was more like a laid-back football game than a stuffy golf tournament.

Smith said the thought of losing access to the four majors had filled him with dread.

“Yeah, that was probably the biggest thing for me, those big events,” he said.

“That is stuff you dream of as a kid and to throw that out the window would have been tough but the last three or four months it’s been a step in the right direction.

“I have said from the start I think those are tournaments that need to be above all the political stuff that is going on.

“Hopefully throughout the years we can resolve these issues with world rankings. It is good to have competition and I think LIV Golf has definitely kept the PGA tour on their toes and their competition is thriving from it as well so I can’t really see a bad thing that it’s done yet to professional golf.

Smith says he hasn’t lost any friends after making the decision to join LIV Golf.

“All the guys I was mates with are still my mates. No one has told me to piss off or not talk to them ever again.”

Smith is keen to launch a junior foundation to help Australian golfers but admitted its formation might still take several years.

He said his only splurge buy from the US $100 million contract had been upgrading his fishing boat in his Florida home.

He was able to spend several months in Queensland over Christmas given the truncated LIV Golf schedule which has only 14 events this season.

“It is not my spot to step on anyone’s toes, it was just a move I felt was right for my career and the biggest thing for me was spending more time in Australia which I was able to do over the Christmas break and I brought my fiance down there.

It was her first time in Australia, we spent seven or eight weeks down there and it was awesome to be there and having that tournament in Adelaide will be really big for Australian golf and big for junior golf. I want to see as many young Aussies out there whacking a golf ball.”