Cam Smith Sees Masters as Crucial for LIV: 'It's Important to Show a High Standard of Golf'

The winner of last year's British Open takes issue with those who say LIV players 'don't play real golf anymore.'

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Cam Smith admits he’s off to a slow start in 2023. The reigning British Open champion enjoyed his time off in the winter but has played in just three tournaments so far with this weekend’s LIV Golf Orlando event his last event prior to the Masters.

Smith should be considered among the prime contenders next week at Augusta National, where he has four top-10 finishes including the last three years in a row.

And while he’s doing all he can to put himself in position to contend again, he also sees some motivation in performing due to his association with LIV Golf.

“Obviously first and foremost for me, I’m trying to go there and play the best golf I can," Smith said Thursday after playing in the pro-am at Orange County National, where the tournament begins Friday. “(But) I think it is important for us to go there, really show a high standard of golf which we know we’re all capable of.

“Most of us will get four cracks at it this year (in the major championships), and hopefully we get maybe a win out of it. Maybe we just show a really hearty effort. I think for us, internally, there’s a lot of chatter going around about 'these guys don’t play real golf anymore.' And I think it’s b.s. to be honest. And we just want to show people that."

Smith is one of 18 LIV golfers who will compete in the Masters next week, including past major winners Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Among the knocks on LIV Golf have been its 54-hole format with shotgun starts.

Since LIV Golf launched last June, this will mark one of the rare times where PGA Tour players and LIV golfers are competing in the same event. LIV players have been suspended or prohibited from playing in PGA Tour events; DP World Tour players are able to compete in those events pending the outcome of an arbitration hearing in London.

That allowed for drama to play out in January at the Dubai Desert Classic, where Rory McIlroy held off Reed in a final-day duel.

Most LIV players have seen their world rankings plummet as they are not receiving points for LIV events.

Smith is fifth in the world (No. 11 SIWGR) but Johnson, who won the Masters in 2020, is now 68th (No. 24 SIWGR). Reed is 70th (No. 52 SIWGR), Koepka is 111th (No. 71 SIWGR) and DeChambeau is 149th.

Smith did not join LIV Golf until September, and won his second event, which was played in Chicago. That came after winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the Players Championship and the Open at St. Andrews. He also added the Australian PGA Championship in his homeland in December.

Since then, he tied for 47th at the Australian Open, missed the cut at the Saudi International, then finished tied for fifth at LIV’s season-opening event at Mayakoba before finishing T24 two weeks ago in Tucson.

And he’s clearly looking forward to the Masters, where he tied for second behind Johnson in 2020 and was tied for third last year behind winner Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

“I feel like I’ve played my best golf I’ve ever played around there," he said. “I feel like I’ve got a pretty good record around there."