Cam Smith & Marc Leishman on bringing golf to Australia
The mainstream media has been going nuts since The Open. Will Cam Smith go to LIV Golf or will he not go to LIV Golf. That has been the question. Cam through a kink in their reporting. Why? Because Cam was a class act throughout the transition from The Open until this week’s official announcement and the media has a hard time dealing with truthfulness and honesty.
But a second kink was put into the mix when Marc Leishman, another Australian made the move to LIV Golf as well.
Below is part of the interview with Smith and Leishman about their decisions and their excitement in joining LIV Golf and potentially growing the game in their home county, Australia.First of all, welcome, guys. Thank you so much for being here. First question I have for you guys is: What does this mean for Australia?
QUESTION: You guys have an all-Australia team. You are two of Australia’s biggest stars in golf. What does this mean for Australia? CAMERON SMITH: You want to do this one?
MARC LEISHMAN: Go for it. CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think it’s great. I think it will be exciting to bring another event down to Australia. You know, showcasing some of the world’s best golf at great golf courses down in Australia. You know, me personally, I can’t wait to tee it up every week with one of my best mates, Marc. The team format I think is great. We are going to have heaps of fun out there, and yeah, I can’t wait for this next chapter. MARC LEISHMAN: I think it’s great for a lot of reasons. Obviously Australia golf to, have some great players heading back there playing, and selfishly, it’s cool for me. It’s been three years since I’ve been home and to be able to spend more time in my home country, see friends again, play on golf courses that I know, it’s certainly exciting. Like I say, it’s a pretty cool day for us.
QUESTION: You’re coming to a tournament in which 13 of the Top-50 players in the world are here and yet there are no ranking points available. Just wanted to get your thoughts on the whole ranking process and where you think we’re headed with that.
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I think it’s really a shame that we are not getting World Ranking points out here. To have 48 of the best, you know, guys around the world playing, and not to get World Ranking points, I think is perhaps a little bit unfair. You know, it’s still super competitive out here. I think, yeah, I just really think it’s a little bit unfair.
MARC LEISHMAN: I think as a golf fan, personally, I think it’s going to — you know, it’s early days. Hopefully things change not too far down the track. As far as the majors and all that go, I think it could potentially hurt them having some guys potentially miss out because they are not offered World Ranking points here. You know as a golf fan, that’s hard for the top tournaments, but like I say, hopefully it sorts itself out.
QUESTION: Just a teams question, if I can. How much different is professional golf going to be week-in, week-out for you guys now that you are not just playing for yourself? Can you go through what you enjoy and hope to improve about the teams aspect?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, Cam has not had to worry about this too much lately but when you get to Friday afternoon and missing the cut, there’s not a whole lot to play for. There’s always going to be something to play for with this team aspect. If you’re having a bad day but one of your other teammates is having a bad day as well, you’re going to try your butt off to try and beat him and might cut a shot or two off that team, which could be huge at the end of the week. So yeah, the team aspect was also a big reason for me to come over here and be a part of it.
QUESTION: There has been criticism and backlash; how does that sit with you, Cam? How do you take that criticism? How does it play into your preparation for your debut LIV event?
CAMERON SMITH: You know, I think there has been a lot of stuff up in the air over the past month or so but you know, for me personally, I’m here to play the best golf I can. Now I’m not only playing for myself; I’m playing for three of my mates, the other team members. You know, I’m just really excited to be here. This is a new kind of chapter in my life. I think this is the future of golf. I love how it is out here. It’s a little bit more laid back on the range, the music playing. I love that stuff. I play with music at home and yeah, I just can’t wait to be a part of this.
QUESTION: What is your status on the PGA TOUR now? Did you resign or are you considered off the circuit? And then No. 2 is, since you won the British Open about five weeks ago, what’s life been like off the course?Have you been receiving calls from other players and officials from the PGA TOUR such as Jay Monahan about staying on board?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I’m still — I haven’t resigned my membership as — on the PGA TOUR.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask both of you, what does Greg Norman mean to you, growing up and now in this period in the last few months, what has he meant to you guys?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean, he was my idol growing up. We used to go down to the Australian Masters and watch him with my parents. They are some of my best childhood memories. I remember watching him, got a couple of golf balls off him a couple years running. You know, a phone call from him about this made a huge, huge difference. Yeah, it’s amazing to be a part of something that he — I guess it’s been in the pipeline for him for 20 or 30 years, maybe longer. So for it to come to fruition is pretty cool and to be a part of it is great.
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, I played in the Greg Norman Junior Foundation basically my whole — basically my whole life until I turned 18. He’s been a big part of Australian golf. I think he will be forever a part of Australian golf. Yeah, we spoke a few times about this, and I mean, yeah, he’s the idol. He’s someone that I would always listen to and would always have open ears for. Yeah, I can’t wait to help him out in this next chapter of everyone’s life.
QUESTION: You guys are obviously both excited about the team concept. The first event was won by the South Africans and the next two by DJ and the Americans. Curious how important it is to have that common Aussie bond, and how will it manifest itself on the leaderboard?
CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, we saw that DJ and the team there have won the last couple of events. Certainly something that we want to putt a stop to. I think we have got a really solid team this week. For me I’m playing some of the best golf of my life at the moment. I know for the other boys, this is a pretty exciting time and hopefully we can get all behind each other’s backs and get a win for Australia, and yeah, keep continuing to do that.
QUESTION: You’ve won The Open and you’re now here at LIV. Can you speak to the differences in your approach, if any, to the pre-round hair care routine?
CAMERON SMITH: For me — I thought you were going to ask a serious question there. But for me, I think it’s always remained pretty much the same. Get out of bed, brush it a few times and this is what it is.
Q. Any favorite product?
CAMERON SMITH: Saltwater is my favorite product. I love getting out in the saltwater and letting it kind of flourish.
Q. Obviously the Presidents Cup is coming up in a couple weeks. Did that in any shape or form come into your mindset to wait till now or after the Presidents Cup?
CAMERON SMITH: Absolutely. I have spoken to Trevor, and Marc has, as well. We are still willing to compete in that. I hope we can. Trevor has become a really good friend of mine over the last couple years, him being on the broadcast team out there. But I hope we can get to Charlotte and represent Trevor and the Internationals.
MARC LEISHMAN: Certainly disappointing on a few different levels. The team; missing out on Cam and Jaco, among others, it’s going to hurt the product and I don’t know if it’s a true International Team. I guess you have to be in good standing with the PGA TOUR to be a member of that team; and that’s their rules and we abide by them. But I don’t know if that’s the best thing for the Presidents Cup going forward, having to be in good standing. I think if it was a true International team, you could be playing on any tour.
One more comment. Notice the class act that both of these players were in their interview. Never bashed one other player. Unlike Rory and Tiger, who are unfortunately showing their real colors.
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