Inside one of Brisbane’s most famous drinking holes, Cameron Smith stood beer in hand, surrounded by his family and friends, watching a replay of his Australian PGA win earlier in the day.

When the final putt flashed up on the screen again, they all cheered and raised their hands in the air and hoisted Smith on their shoulders in the middle of the pub. It was rock star behaviour for the rock star of Australian golf.

Smith won the event last year - like most thought he should. He’d just returned home from his victory in The Open and signed a LIV Golf contract for the type of money which will not only look after him, but his future kids, his kids’ kids, and many generations of mulleted magicians to come.

That event came reasonably early in Greg Norman and LIV Golf’s push to change the sport like never before.

The Great White Shark’s LIV Golf bait has only brought home a harsh reality for Australian golf: it’s seldom been harder to catch a huge fish for the country’s two major events, the Australian PGA and Australian Open.

Only this week, Rory McIlroy, speaking on his resignation from the PGA Tour policy board after 18 months as the Luke Skywalker of world golf, voiced an opinion everyone can get around.

“Some of the national opens, [we need to] try to revitalise some of those that have some great history in our game and a lot of tradition, like the Australian Open,” McIlroy said.

Adam Scott, Cameron Smith, Greg Norman and Rory McIlroy.Credit: Getty

“I look at the Australian Open trophy, and I see the names on that and to me, that’s what being a professional golfer and being competitive is all about.”

QOSHE - In golf’s endless cash wars, Australia is suffering. But it plans to fight back - Adam Pengilly
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In golf’s endless cash wars, Australia is suffering. But it plans to fight back

11 26
20.11.2023

Inside one of Brisbane’s most famous drinking holes, Cameron Smith stood beer in hand, surrounded by his family and friends, watching a replay of his Australian PGA win earlier in the day.

When the final putt flashed up on the screen again, they all cheered and raised their hands in the air and hoisted Smith on their shoulders in the middle of the pub. It was rock star behaviour for the rock star of Australian........

© The Sydney Morning Herald


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