The day could have been summarized by one club. Rory McIlroy couldn’t buy a putt during the final round at St. Andrews’ 150th Open Championship, while Cam Smith did everything he saw.
McIlroy won the chase-down victory with McIlroy claiming another 2022 major, with a top-10 finish, but no hardware.
Smith was able to hoist the Claret Jug two days later when he received a call from the Northern Irishman. The conversation eventually revolved around LIV Golf.
Smith said that he has always respected Rory and liked his comments on the course. This was before the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship. “He said, “Congratulations.’ There were a few jabs there. He was pleased that I had played well, and that it was a great tournament. We then talked about LIV and the PGA Tour.
“There were a lot of things he wanted me know before I made my decision. Although he didn’t try to talk me out of it directly, he wanted me to remain.
Smith was asked about LIV during his post-victory press conference. There were rumors that he was headed for the Saudi-backed league. LIV announced Smith as a new member of its board on August 30, after continuing discussions about Smith’s future.
Smith started his career in Boston with a fifth-place finish, before winning the Chicago stop.
