Moments after being handed the gleaming Claret Jug and we learn of the possibility Aussie Cameron Smith will headline six new additions to the ranks of LIV Golf.
Smith, 28, became the first Australian since 1993 when now LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman won at Royal St. George’s to win the Open Championship, in brilliantly posting a closing round 64 and win by a single shot amid crazy spectator scenes down the final hole of the famed Old Course at St. Andrews.
Smith had been asked in his formal 150th Open victory conference regarding rumours he was joining LIV Golf but fended-off the question from the Press Association saying: “I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty not good”.
However, the same Press Association correspondent was typing a story that is set to again rattle the professional golfing establishment even more on Tuesday.
Smith will reportedly top the news to be announced by LIV Golf of six new signings and other names being linked in the same breath are fellow Aussie Marc Leishman, double Masters winning Bubba Watson and also 2023 European Ryder Cup captain, Henrik Stenson, with Stenson’s signing no doubt set to see him stripped of the European Team captaincy.
News of this latest batch of LIV Golf ‘signings’ has been rumoured by the majority of mainstream golfing media reporting on Smith’s major championship success at the Home of Golf, while word of the Aussie golfer’s alleged move to LIV Golf was made by sources close to the LIV Golf and Saudi Golf Federation.
Smith’s victory at the Home of Golf, in a season in which he captured the Players Championship, comes in the 150th hosting of The Open and it coincides with fellow Aussie Ken Nagle capturing the 100th anniversary Open at the Home of Golf in 1960.
A great tale from that Open won by Nagle, and relegating Arnold Palmer to second, is that the Sydneyside was required to wear a jacket to the prize presentation. However, Nagle did not own a jacket so he borrowed fellow Aussie-bor Open Champion Peter Thomson’s jacket.
Nagle was handed a cheque for £1,250 and in handing the jacket back to Thomson left the cheque in the coat pocket. It prompted Thomson, who captured five Open’s, to remark: “Clearly, Kel did not need the money”.
In contrast to Nagle, Smith pocketed a cheque for $2.5m plus whatever LIV golf have likely promised for the new Champion Golfer to sign.
- Since this article published Tommy Fleetwood came out to confirm he will not be joining the LIV Golf Tour. We edited the article accordingly
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