“Bull**it” - LIV star Cam Smith sounds off on the ISPS Handa Australian Open course
LIV Golf star Cam Smith has criticized the ISPS Handa Australian Open venue, Kingston Heath, for its softness. He called out the lack of the hard and fast conditions typically associated with Sandbelt courses.
Fresh off a runner-up finish at the Australian PGA Championship, Cam Smith is set to compete at the ISPS Handa Australian Open. He has a runner-up finish here but is yet to claim the trophy.
On Wednesday, November 27, Smith played a Pro-Am round with Australia's former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. After the round, he expressed his disappointment with the course conditions, describing Kingston Heath as the softest and slowest Sandbelt course he had ever encountered.
Cam Smith shared that he was excited by last week’s weather and anticipated a firm and fast layout. However, he found the course unexpectedly soft and not what he was expecting.
"The courses are in great condition, don’t get me wrong," he said as per West Australian. "But they are going to play so differently to how they are supposed to be played and designed to be played. I’ve played down here in the Aussie Open and Masters and tell this story I used to allow 25 or 30m run out for a pitching wedge, which is a lot."
"When you play at a place like this … you have to create spin, create shots to get close topspin which everyone really loves. I know they got some rain here over the weekend, but I’ve played down here in rain before and it’s still been (firm) the next day. I think that’s a bull**t excuse, to be honest. I think it’s been prepared like that for a reason and isn’t how these courses are meant to be played," he added.
When will Cam Smith tee off at the ISPS Handa Australian Open?
Cam Smith is grouped with Elvis Smylie and Victor Perez for the opening round of the Australian Open. The trio will tee off on Thursday, November 28, at 7:00 am local time from the tenth tee at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne’s Sandbelt.
Matthew Millar, Renato Paratore, and Brett Rankin will be the first group to tee off at Victoria GC, starting from the first tee at 6:55 am local time. At the same time, Lukas Nemecz, Jack Buchanan, and Jordan Zunic will begin their round from the first hole at Kingston Heath.
Defending champion Joaquin Niemann is paired with Min Woo Lee and Jordan Smith for the opening round. The trio will tee off on Thursday at 12:05 pm local time from the first tee.