Follow usWorld number 5 Cameron Smith jokes he will show up at The Players and watch from the crowd despite being banned from defending his title later this week following PGA Tour suspension for joining Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
2022 Players championship winner Cam Smith *might* show up in the crowd this week… 👀 pic.twitter.com/GMSOsxDs0B
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 6, 2023
The Australian, formerly ranked world No. 2 was suspended from the PGA Tour for a reported $140million with 30 other LIV golfers, who played at TPC Sawgrass last year, also banned.
Smith triumphed at the Players last year before going on to win his first major at the British Open in July.
“I am a little it unsure. That is where I live now. I don’t know, I will definitely be watching it on TV. I think it is a great event,’ Smith told Golf.com.
“I grew up my whole childhood watching the event. I would love to get out there. I don’t know how it would be received, me getting out there and watching, walking around in the crowd. Might be pretty funny, I would love to do that.”
The Australian later joked that he didn’t think he would take part in the heckling.
He became the first Australian in almost 30 years to take home the claret jug last July, and it was feared he may not feature in Scotland this year after jumping ship a month later for a reported $140million.
However, Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of champions at the R&A, stated the likes of Smith and fellow LIV players including Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed will feature at Royal Liverpool.
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