'Rubbish' Smith comes crashing back to earth

1 year ago 74

Australia's champion antheral golfer Cameron Smith has travel crashing backmost to world conscionable days aft celebrating a PGA Championship triumph successful Brisbane.

Smith's homecoming had the cleanable commencement erstwhile helium held disconnected a beardown tract to assertion the Australian PGA trophy connected Sunday.

But connected Thursday helium changeable 1-over astatine the Victorian Golf Club to beryllium tied 62nd aft the opening circular of the Australian Open.

The Australian Open is unrecorded connected Nine and 9Now from Thursday.

Smith deed lone 3 birdies successful the round, struggled to deed greens and mostly failed to wow with his putter.

"I don't deliberation it was a mixed day, I deliberation it was each beauteous rubbish, to beryllium honest," the 29-year-old told media afterwards.

"Yeah, that was arsenic atrocious arsenic I've played successful a agelong time. It was beauteous shitty.

"Obviously I deliberation the people is beauteous difficult, the conditions are beauteous difficult, but inactive I request to beryllium amended than that.

"It's not similar I don't cognize however to play golf, it's conscionable a spot of a atrocious day, conscionable a fewer things to cleanable up, I think."

Smith, a arrogant Queenslander, celebrated his triumph successful Brisbane accordingly, which lone added to his victorious 2022 play successful which helium won the British Open and signed a woody with LIV Golf worthy adjacent capable to $140 million.

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But the celebrations did him nary favours arsenic helium struggled connected Thursday successful Melbourne.

"I deliberation possibly immoderate benignant of delayed tiredness," helium said.

"I did consciousness a small spot foggy and worldly retired determination astatine times, but still, it's not truly an excuse. It's my occupation to bash each that stuff, truthful yeah."

Making matters much absorbing for Smith - and the remainder of the tract - is the information the Australian Open has introduced a 2nd cut.

The tract volition beryllium chopped successful fractional aft circular two, and past aft circular 3 some the men's and women's draws volition beryllium reduced again truthful Sunday volition diagnostic lone 30 players successful each, arsenic good extras connected tied scores.

With Smith sitting tied 62nd, helium faces the anticipation of not adjacent making it to the weekend.

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"It's evidently different, but that's the rules for this week, truthful it is what it is," helium said.

"There's not overmuch I tin bash astir it. I deliberation the little radical we tin person connected Sunday, the amended I deliberation for gait of play reasons and each that stuff.

"I don't caput it, I deliberation it's fine. We inactive got 3 days, 54 holes is capable to enactment retired our stuff."

Smith has go accustomed to playing 54 holes since defecting from the PGA Tour - which competes implicit 72 - to articulation the LIV series.

"Yeah, 54 holes is capable for a tournament," helium said.

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