HOYLAKE, England — A number of moments after reigning Open champion Cameron Smith bought emotional when returning the Claret Jug he has had for a 12 months, the Australian delivered a message on the way forward for LIV Golf within the wake of the PGA Tour’s framework settlement with the Public Funding Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
“There’s clearly quite a lot of issues which might be up within the air that nobody actually is aware of in the intervening time,” Smith mentioned at a information convention Monday previous to the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Membership. “There’s quite a lot of uncertainty however I am optimistic LIV might be round sooner or later.”
It was this time final 12 months that Smith put collectively a final-round 64 to surpass Rory McIlroy and outlast Cameron Younger to win the one hundred and fiftieth Open at St. Andrews solely to, shortly after the match, grow to be LIV Golf’s greatest signing since its inception.
Earlier this month at LIV’s London occasion, which Smith received, he mentioned he thought his victory on the Previous Course was barely “overshadowed” by the questions on his future that he bought on the post-championship information convention. On Monday, Smith appeared again on the final 12 months and reiterated that the choice to go to LIV was “demanding” however one he doesn’t remorse.
“It does seem to be a very long time in the past, final 12 months,” Smith mentioned. “I’ve mentioned up to now the PGA Tour is a good place to play golf, and it is going to be for a really very long time. I do not assume there was any a part of me that made me assume I made the mistaken resolution all through any a part of the final eight or 9 months.”
Whereas the golf world has been consumed with the facility wrestle between LIV and the PGA Tour and now the U.S. Senate’s investigation into their proposed partnership, Smith has as an alternative chosen to focus extra on the Claret Jug.
“I wasn’t part of all of the lawsuit stuff,” Smith mentioned. “I attempted to remain as distant from that as potential.”
The 29-year-old added that he believes no participant is aware of precisely how the continued framework settlement will shake out however, past remaining assured in LIV’s future, Smith mentioned he would love present LIV CEO Greg Norman to remain concerned within the league.
Norman, who has been the fiery voice behind LIV’s push to upend golf, light from the highlight in latest months as PIF chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan grew to become the face of the fund’s negotiations to accomplice with the PGA Tour. PGA Tour officers pushed to oust Norman because the CEO of LIV throughout the tour’s negotiations with the DP World Tour and the PIF, in keeping with paperwork launched by the U.S. Senate Everlasting Subcommittee on Investigations.
“I believe I’ve sort of grow to be a little bit of a good friend of Greg the final eight or 9 months,” Smith mentioned. “Personally, I believe he is doing an important job for our tour. He is looking for our greatest pursuits. That is all you may ask of a man that is working the present. I would like to see him carry on.”
Regardless of his opinions on the rivalry, Smith mentioned it doesn’t give him any further motivation in attempting to defend his title this week at Royal Liverpool. As an alternative, he mentioned it will be “a cool story” to have a rematch of types with the PGA’s Rory McIlroy, who completed within the prime three of the Open final 12 months and is coming off a win Sunday within the Scottish Open.
Smith mentioned that after profitable LIV’s occasion in London and paying extra consideration to element on the course lately, he has the correct quantity of confidence and momentum heading into this week’s Open Championship.
“It is a bit of little bit of a piece in progress,” Smith mentioned. “I believe as a golfer, I believe I am truly a greater golfer now than what I used to be final 12 months.”
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