The golf gods in Australia had a different story in mind this time around. The greens at the 2023 Fortinet Australia PGA Championship saw defending champion Cameron Smith falter with his swing and lose footing in the second round. A bogey one after the other at the 10th hole, followed by the same on the final two holes, added strokes to his tourney card, which eventually led to an emotional second-round 78 and a failed cut. 

After making Olympics chances claims last week and now with a professional predicament added to the board, what are the chances that the LIV Golf player is ready to gamble with? Will the golfer mend his methods before adding the Asia tour events under his belt, or will his fate meet another disappointment?  

Cameron Smith’s quest for redemption extends to the Australian Open 

Cameron Smith battled with his disappointment at the 2023 Fortinet Australia PGA Championship. While the golfer failed to make it to the top players’ list, his Australian rival, who’s also a strong contender for the 2024 Paris Olympics, beat Smith to the game and seized the opportunity to shine. Min Woo Lee carded a remarkable five-under-par 66 at the Royal Queensland Golf Club, and with each swing, the golfer’s lead strengthened. By the end, his overall score reached an impressive 12 under overall after the second round.

Smith’s play left the player disappointed this time around—especially because he has previously clinched wins in the 2017, 2018, and 2022 leg of the tourney. After the game, the LIV player did find solace in the roaring support of the Australian crowd, but he evidently couldn’t shake off the sting of an unexpected exit.

Now, after the green caboodle, news about his resurfacing has made it to the headlines. Smith is going to be a part of the fray at the Australian Open. PGA of Australia X account updated the golf world about the news via a tweet. They wrote: “…Cam Smith is back out at @RQGOLF grinding with coach Grant Field before @AusOpenGolf next week. He’s even in his Sunday maroon. #AusPGA.”

The golfer has a lot at stake at the play next weekend. If his game cadence remains the same, his chances of making it to the 2024 Olympics will become more blurred. 

Cameron Smith’s Olympic odyssey

Cameron Smith, in an interview, recently opened up about how his journey to the 2024 Olympics hit a crossroads. The Aussie’s shift to the LIV Golf League has cast a shadow on his Olympic dreams—the OWGR scores of the player keep him far from competing. 

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The intense competition among Australian contenders intensifies the pressure on him. In a strategic move, Smith revealed that he contemplates engaging in more Asian Tour events in hopes of counterbalancing the impact of LIV Golf on his ranking. The golfer is haunted by the near miss at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and so he isn’t ready to take chances. 

Smith has time till June 17th to make amends, and as this deadline looms, the golfing world holds its breath with him, questioning if Smith’s resilience and strategic choices will secure his coveted spot on the Olympic roster despite the hurdles presented by the LIV Golf League and stringent qualification criteria.

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