IT’S been a poor year by his own lofty standards, but Cameron Smith will be hoping to change all that around when he competes in the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in late November.
He was always expected to contest a tournament that he’s won three times – twice at Royal Pines (2017 and 2018) and once at RQ (2022) – but tournament officials were nevertheless relieved when he confirmed his appearance in September.
“It is no secret I love playing in Brisbane in front of the Aussie fans, who are among the best in the world, and the Australian PGA is without question one of my favourite events each year,” he said.
Smith, 32, can only be disappointed with his efforts this year.
Cam Smith will be looking for a change in fortune after a disappointing 2025 when he tees it up at the BMW Australian PGA.
He’s had five top-10 finishes in LIV events, with fourths in Miami and Mexico, both in April, his best results. Smith missed the cut in each of the four majors and his Official World Ranking has plummeted to 246th, though that measure has lost any real meaning since the advent of LIV.
Ironically, his best performance in the last 12 months was in last year’s Australian PGA, when he was narrowly beaten by fellow Queenslander Elvis Smylie, who will defend his title in this year’s event, scheduled for November 27 to 30.
Also in the field are 2023 champion Min Woo Lee, two-time champ Adam Scott and PGA Tour winner, Kiwi Ryan Fox.
Revered as the winner of the 2022 Open Championship at St Andrews, Smith is a 12-time winner as a professional, including three LIV victories and one team championship as the captain of the all-Australian Ripper team.
He’s played the Australian PGA 10 times previously, for eight top-20 finishes and clearly loves the course – almost as much as he loves the fans who flock to RQ’s riverside circuit.
“The crowds are always incredible, especially for the locals like myself. Their support combined with love of golf is great to see and the party hole is a fun place to be every round,” he said.
Offering a prize purse of $2.5 million, the Australian PGA Championship is co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour, and has attracted a strong contingent of European golfers.
The post Smith locked in for RQ first appeared on Inside Golf. Australia's Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE.
Article Link: https://www.insidegolf.com.au/news/smith-locked-in-for-rq/