LIV Golf has been able to attract some of the biggest names in golf ever since its inception in 2022. The Saudi-based league has signed the likes of Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and many more amazing players from the PGA Tour.

One of the stars that made the switch alongside the lot is the $100 million man, Cameron Smith. And like all of those pros, Smith has also been subject to a lot of negativity ever since he “betrayed” the PGA Tour.

The Australian pro; Smith recently discussed the difficult phase of transitioning from the Jay Monahan-run establishment to partnering with Greg Norman and LIV Golf. In a candid interview about his journey, Cameron Smith gave the fans a glimpse of what it was like being the topic of discussion, hate, and celebration at the same time.

Cameron Smith sat down with Mark Bouris on his YouTube channel as he recollected the memories of 2022. After Smith talked about what drove him to make the switch, Mark asked him if he had read what the news and reports were saying about him.“I can’t be bothered reading that s**t,” said Smith suggesting that he didn’t care what the tabloids had to say. He elaborated, “I would spend a lot less time on the phone through digital media and spend a lot more time on the phone speaking to people that I love.” Smith further added, “I care about what they think of me, and that, at the end of the day, trumped everything.”

Mark went on to acknowledge the way Cameron Smith dealt with the situation as he said, “That was a pretty mature thing to do for a young guy, did someone tell you that?” Trying to explain why he took this approach, Smith said, “I just had so many good conversations with so many good people that the other stuff meant nothing.” Speaking about how he was convinced about choosing LIV Golf, Smith added, “They ensured me that I was making the right decision for myself. That was all I needed.”

Coming back to the negative reports about him, Smith said, “I didn’t need the approval of mainstream media at that time to make me feel good.” Smith listed down everything that did actually matter as he said, “It was all about spending more time in Australia, supporting the events here. Now we have a great event in Adelaide. All that stuff meant so much more to me than what someone nasty was going to say to me on social media.”

It’s certainly a great perspective to have when taking such a life-changing decision. It seems like everything has worked out well for Smith ever since he moved to LIV Golf. Let’s take a peek at his achievements in the past two years.

Cameron Smith’s career after joining LIV Golf

Cameron Smith was one of the highest-paid stars to join LIV Golf. Greg Norman was so excited to have Smith join LIV Golf that he and his associates offered the Australian pro golfer a $100 million contract. Soon after joining the Saudi-based league, Smith was named the captain of Ripper GC and he led an all-Australian team in every event since then. The team is having a great 2024 season as they stand 3rd on the leaderboard. Cameron Smith himself finished 2nd on the individual leaderboard back in 2023.

Apart from his exploits in LIV Golf, Cameron Smith has also been on a mission to win trophies in Australia. He has featured in several PGA Tour Australia events over the last couple of months and most recently he finished 2nd in the Australian PGA Championship 2024, the season opener of the 2024-25 DP World Tour.

What do you think about Cameron Smith’s approach to dealing with negativity from the media? Share your views in the comments section.