LIV Golf Injury Update: Will Cameron Smith Play In Las Vegas? Exploring His Noticeable Eye Disease

With two days left for LIV Golf Las Vegas, the leading captain of Ripper’s GC has sustained an eye disease. Cameron Smith was seen wearing sunglasses for his eyes at the season opener in El Camaleon, Mayakoba. A kind of web has infected the man from Down and Under, making him among the 12% of the world to have Pterygium.

With the recent development of an injury, it seems appropriate to question whether Smith’s eye disease will let him play the second event of the breakaway league, which will take place on the 2024 Super Bowl’s turf.

Cameron Smith suffers from ‘Surfer’s Eye’

At the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon Mayakoba GC, the 2022 British Open winner came on the greens with sunglasses. Well, it was a sunny day, and it did not look inappropriate. However, it became a point of concern when Cameron Smith did not remove it even while playing the shots.

It was soon posted by the Golf Injury Report that the glasses were not a part of the fashion statement but were protective in nature. Smith had been diagnosed with an eye web or Surfer’s Eye (Pterygium), which means there is a mass of blood vessels growing on his conjunctiva. The disease happens due to long exposure to UV rays that a golfer experiences on most days.

The mass might be removed surgically, when severe, or treated with ointments and eye drops, when mild. The severity of his condition is still not known, but there has been no official announcement of him undergoing surgery. It can be deduced that Smith will plausibly play in the Las Vegas event that coincides with the Super Bowl weekend.

However, playing the event with the disease may hinder his overall performance. The Ripper’s GC captain was struggling at the LIV Golf Mayakoba a bit as well, though even with his eye web, Smith successfully secured a finish within the top 10.

Cameron Smith’s three rounds at Mayakoba

One can say that the first round at El Camaleon for Cameron Smith was an indifferent play. The Aussie had five birdies, though he ended the round with 2 under 69 and on a bogey on the 18th. Not exactly what Smith would have expected, but the next day was statistically worse than day one.

Read More: Cameron Smith’s Last Attempt to Lower Ripper GC’s Average Age Turns Fruitful; an All-Australian Team for 2024

On Saturday, when Joaquin Niemann shot a career-low 59, Smith was again struggling to make it big on the greens. Spanning the 18 holes, there were no consecutive birdies and the par-4 16th even had a double bogey. The one-time major winner finished only 1 under 70. However, his best round was the final day.

Smith shot 7 under 67, the best score among his teammates. Moreover, starting the round on the 4th tee, Smith shot five birdies in a row until he reached the 8th hole. After his impressive run, Smith finished T8 on the leaderboard, five strokes away from the lead. While he missed an opportunity to win in Mexico, he may compensate for it in Vegas.

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