Golf star Cameron Smith has received the keys to his hometown - where he is pushing for a LIV event to be played. He received the prestigious honour ahead of this weekend’s Australian PGA Championship, an event he has won twice before.
Originally from Brisbane, Smith returns home to play for the first time in three years after producing his most successful year in the sport. Ecstatic with the award, he said: "Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd get the keys to the city. I thought it was for important people."
Smith has hit the headlines in 2022 after winning his first major at The Open this summer, before defecting to the controversial LIV Golf series at the end of August. With LIV set to enter the Australian market in Adelaide next year, the 29-year-old will hope his enhanced pulling power can help to stage an event in Queensland, Brisbane. "If I had my way I'd love an event here in Queensland," Smith said.
"If it's anywhere in Australia at the moment it's going to be well received ... the welcoming of LIV Golf in Australia has been really positive. I can't wait for Adelaide, but hopefully in the future we can get one in Queensland somewhere."
Brisbane is hosting the PGA Championship, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and acting as a pathway to the PGA Tour, which is a barrier to the state hosting a LIV Golf event. But in Smith the LIV Tour has the ultimate Brisbane poster boy, while chief executive Greg Norman is another iconic Queenslander on the books.
LIV rebel Marc Leishman agreed with the new world number three that he would like to see the circuit played in different parts of Australia. "It does definitely have the vibe and I'm hoping it's going to move around Australia eventually," Leishman told the Nine Network . "It's going to be amazing in Adelaide, they're a little bit starved of golf at the moment.
"I see tickets are selling very quickly; I'm excited because it's pretty close to Warrnambool where I grew up." Earlier this week Smith opened up on a phone call he shared with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who looked to persuade the Aussie star to decline an offer from LIV Golf .
A man who has vocally found himself on the other side of golf's ongoing civil war surrounding LIV Golf is McIlroy, who has proven to be a key piece of armour in the PGA Tour's defence along with icon Tiger Woods. Detailing their conversation, the Open champion told the Sydney Morning Herald : "I’ve always had respect for Rory and I’ve liked what he says on the golf course.
“He said, ‘congrats’. There were maybe a couple of little jabs in there. He was happy I played well and it was a good tournament. Then we talked about the PGA Tour and LIV. There was a bunch of stuff he wanted me to know before I made my decision. I wouldn’t say he tried to directly talk me out of it, but he definitely wanted me to stay.”
