The Augusta showdown is just a week away. While golfers like Rory McIlroy are sharpening their skills at the Texas Houston Open, LIV golfer Cameron Smith is taking a different approach—he’s choosing to “take it easy.” It’s a strategic move, one of the methods he’s using to improve his game before stepping onto the pristine fairways of Augusta.

Before heading to the first round of LIV Golf Miami, RangeGoats GC’s Cameron Smith attended a press conference. There, inquiring about the mood-lifting effects of the Miami tournament a week before the season’s first Major, the interviewer asked how the experience had affected him, noting the city’s characteristically upbeat vibe. As a response, the golfer said, “We like to have a laugh and play practice rounds together, have a bit of fun. It is nice to get into that mindset the week before a Major, kind of take it easy.”

However, they are at the Trump Doral National, the course known for its challenging features like low fairways, undulating greens, and daunting water hazards, and one can’t be out of focus for long. Luckily, Smith is well aware and added, “At the same time, we’re playing one of the hardest golf courses I think in the world. You can’t be too far off your game around here, otherwise, you’re going to have a bad week and kind of some bad thoughts heading into next week. Still need to be there. Still need to hit every shot perfect out here. Yeah, hopefully, we can do that this week and get some confidence heading into next week.” 

Later, the interviewer also inquired about how Cameron Smith feels about his game as compared to last year. Also, how does Doral compare as a test to Augusta National? The 31-year-old had a positive response to this as well. Dropping a 6 worded bomb for his competitor, he said, “Yeah, the game feels good. I feel like I’ve played a lot better than my results. Did a lot of technique work over the off-season in Australia. The swing feel great.” 

Although the swing feels great, the golfer has yet to win any tournament this year. He talked about it further and said, “I just haven’t quite — everything kind of hasn’t synced together so far this year, so hopefully this is one of those weeks. For a place like next week, it’s kind of exactly the same, but yeah, it’s a good test heading into an even bigger test next week.” 

Last year, Smith finished at T6 with a total of 286 at Masters. Coming to this year, the test is certainly bigger. Interestingly, the defending champion Scottie Scheffler has openly challenged all the golfers with a strong message saying, “You are gonna have to come catch me.” Well, if the 31-year-old manages to get good practice, he might as well win the green jacket, considering his history with the Masters.

Cameron Smith has been very close to the green jacket in the past

Smith made his Masters debut nine years ago in 2016, finishing tied for 55th. He skipped the tournament the following year but returned with an impressive T5 finish in 2018. The 2019 edition of the tournament proved challenging once again, ending with a T51 result. However, in 2020, he came remarkably close to victory, securing a T2 finish—still one of his best performances in Masters history.

The following year wasn’t disappointing either, as Smith secured another top-10 finish with a T10. In 2022, he came close once again, similar to his 2020 performance, by finishing tied for 3rd—just two steps away from claiming the green jacket. Though 2023 saw a dip with a T34 finish, Smith bounced back impressively in 2024, securing a solid T6 result. You see, it has always been turbulent for the LIV Golfer.

But what about this year? Can he cross all the hurdles coming his way? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!