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With the Masters approaching, Australian Cameron Smith has dismissed claims the LIV Golf circuit has not supplied him with a robust sufficient basis to compete at Augusta.
Smith and 17 different LIV Golf gamers will participate in arguably the most important golf event on the calendar together with their PGA Tour counterparts.
Smith returns to the Masters because the Open champion, having completed tied for third in final yr’s event.
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His type at Augusta has been spectacular with three different high 10 finishes previously 4 years, together with being runner-up in 2020.
Nonetheless, critics consider his type this yr could also be impacted by the much less arduous situations in LIV Golf.
Smith performed simply his fourth occasion of the yr at this week’s 54-hole LIV occasion in Orlando, which had no lower. It was held on the Orange County Nationwide course, which is considered one of many simpler programs on the LIV circuit.
Within the outing earlier than that, Smith completed in a tie for twenty fourth on the occasion in Tucson. He then missed a lower in Saudi Arabia and completed in a tie for fifth within the opening LIV occasion at Mayakoba.
“I feel it is vital for us to go there, actually present a excessive customary of golf which we all know we’re all able to,” Smith mentioned of the LIV gamers competing in Augusta.
“Most of us will get 4 cracks at it this yr (within the main championships), and hopefully we get possibly a win out of it. Perhaps we simply present a extremely hearty effort.
“There’s loads of chatter going round about ‘these guys do not play actual golf anymore.’ And I feel it is b.s. to be sincere. And we simply wish to present those that.”
Smith, considered one of 5 Australians enjoying this yr’s Masters a decade on from Adam Scott’s well-known victory, went as far as to say the perfect golf he is ever performed has been round Augusta.
That is sufficient to go away the Queenslander assured that he might contend once more.
“I really feel like I’ve performed my greatest golf I’ve ever performed round there,” he mentioned.
“I really feel like I’ve bought a fairly good document round there.”
Most PGA Tour gamers haven’t seen the likes of LIV gamers Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka because the British Open. Smith gained the claret jug after which joined LIV six weeks later.
“Contained in the ropes, even the individuals who have scuffles, it is only a working surroundings,” Xander Schauffele mentioned. “Will probably be cool to have everybody again in the identical workplace.”
Most LIV gamers have competed not more than 9 occasions since St. Andrews in 54-hole occasions with 48-man fields.
Their world rating has plummeted as a result of LIV nonetheless does not get factors. Johnson was No.16 on the planet when he left St. Andrews. Now he’s at No.68. Koepka dropped out of the highest 100 on the planet (No.111) for the primary time in 10 years.
“Simply because the blokes aren’t ranked, they’re nonetheless top-ranked gamers, and us professionals know that,” Schauffele mentioned.
“When a few of these boys are enjoying nicely, they’re onerous to beat. A few of them left after they had been sizzling, a few of them left just a little chilly by way of efficiency. However we all know how good everyone seems to be.”
One other query resulting in the 87th Masters Match, which begins April 6, is how nicely Tiger Woods can play. He stays the most important draw, particularly now as a result of nobody is aware of when they may see him subsequent. Woods can hit all of the pictures. His drawback is strolling to the following one, over 4 days, on one of many hardest walks in golf.
Nonetheless hobbled by his February 2021 automobile crash that mangled his proper leg, Woods managed to make the lower final yr within the Masters and the PGA Championship (he withdrew after three rounds). He made the lower at Riviera and shot 67 on Saturday in his lone begin in 2023. Nevertheless it took a toll, and he has sat out for seven weeks to be prepared for Augusta.
“It would not shock me in any respect if he bought us on the sting of our seat for the primary couple of days,” mentioned two-time US Open champion Curtis Unusual, now an ESPN analyst. “However can he maintain it? I feel that LA simply made me look ahead extra to the Masters, as a result of he is nonetheless bought one thing in that physique.”
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