"I am a much happier person now" - Cameron Smith calls his move to LIV Golf "best decision of his life"
Cameron Smith moved to LIV Golf in 2022. This move did not come without controversy. The star golfer was one of the top-ranked players in the world and had won the Open Championship, so leaving the PGA Tour at that time brought plenty of criticism his way.
Now, two years later, the golfer says that he has no regrets about it. Speaking to the Herald Sun, Smith said (via Golf Monthly),
“It was the best decision of my life.
“Not only from where the tour is going and where it will end up but also from a life standpoint as well. The extra time I get to spend in Australia compared to what I used to means a lot. I feel like I am a much happier person now compared to where I was before.”
The fact that LIV Golf plays in his home country of Australia and the PGA Tour does not was a big selling point for Smith. He has not won a Major since he left for LIV, but he does have three top-10 finishes at the Majors in the two years since.
There was some disappointment with Smith when he first made the move. He had just won the Open Championship, but no one in the media wanted to talk about that.
He expressed frustration that the focus was entirely on his transition and not the biggest win he'd had to date, but he has since moved on and believes LIV was the best thing he could have done.
LIV star echoes Cameron Smith's sentiment
Cameron Smith is the captain of an all-Australian LIV Golf team, Rippers GC. Lucas Herbert, one of his teammates, shared the same thought that Smith has now.
Herbert said (via Golf Monthly),
“I played so much more in 2023, but it's just a perfect schedule now."
The golfer added:
“You get your time to get away from the game and get your development blocks to be able to get better, not just from a perspective of hitting balls for three or four days and then go to an event, you can actually really work on your game and elevate your skill set rather than just tune it up."
Much like Cameron Smith, Herbert doesn't miss the PGA Tour life. He added that he's been able to learn valuable things from his teammates on LIV:
“So just the knowledge I've been able to zap from my teammates at various stages throughout the year has been awesome, and my game has massively benefited from that.”
On a final note, Herbert appreciates that, unlike on the PGA Tour, travel and accommodations are paid for, so players need only worry about playing in the tournament.