With less than a week to go until the start of the 2023 Masters Tournament, the focus will be on LIV golfers playing in Augusta.
Eighteen players who made the leap to the LIV and who were later sanctioned by the PGA tour will compete for the green jacket starting Thursday.
A flag with the Masters logo at Augusta National. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
One of those players is the winner of the Open Championship 2022Cameron Smith.
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Smith moved to the LIV shortly after winning his first major at The Old Course in Scotland. He is playing his fourth tournament of the year this weekend in liv orlando.
LIV golfers have faced criticism for the format they play — 54-hole tournaments, no cuts — as well as the number of tournaments LIV will play this year, but Smith said the «talk» about the format is motivation for them to play. play well. in the Masters.
Cameron Smith of Australia plays his tee shot on the 17th hole at the PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on February 3, 2023 in Al Murooj, Saudi Arabia. (Luke Walker/WME IMG/WME IMG via Getty Images)
«Obviously, first and foremost for me, I’m trying to go out there and play the best golf that I can,» Smith told reporters Thursday, according to ESPN. «I think it’s important for us to go there, really show a high level of golf, which we know we’re all capable of.
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«Most of us will get four chances this year. [in the majors], and hopefully maybe we get a win out of this. Maybe we just show really abundant effort. I think for us internally there’s a lot of talk about ‘these guys don’t really play golf anymore’. And I think it’s BS to be honest. And we just want to show it to people.»
Smith will make his seventh apparition in Augusta and has finished in the top 10 in four of his last five Masters.
Ripper GC’s Cameron Smith reacts to a putt on the 18th green during the LIV Golf Invitational – Tucson on March 17, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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LIV golfers Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and others will also travel to Augusta, and Smith expects the reception from Tour players to be warm.
«I’m really not sure, to be honest. I hope he’s okay,» Smith said. «I’ve had a great run at Augusta and I hope I haven’t pissed anyone off. I guess we’ll just wait and see. There are some guys who have a stronger stance.» [on LIV].»