"It’s desperately a place that I want to get to" - Cameron Smith on his Olympic dream hanging by a thread
Cameron Smith's professional aspirations are not limited to LIV Golf. In addition to the circuit and the Majors, Smith has his sights set on the Olympic Games to be held this summer in Paris, France.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Cameron Smith mentioned his desire to represent Australia at Le Golf National, the Olympic golf venue in Paris. He also said he was aware that it would not be easy for him to make the team.
Cameron Smith said (via The Guardian):
"It’s desperately a place that I want to get to and represent Australia. I have to play well to get there. I know I have to play well, and I’m probably only going to get three or four shots at it before they make the selection. I guess it is more pressure."
Smith represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and fell just one stroke short of the medals. However, his chances of representing Australia in Paris are dwindling.
The Olympic teams are defined according to the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), where Cameron Smith is currently ranked 53rd. Three of his compatriots are ahead of him, and two of them (so far) maintain aspirations of being in Paris.
Jason Day (22nd), Min Woo Lee (32nd) and Adam Scott (52nd) are ahead of Smith in the pecking order. Scott has already made public his decision not to attend the Olympics, even though he is eligible to do so, but Day and Lee are still in contention to play in Paris.
Each country is allowed to send a team of two men and two women to the Olympic golf competition (although they can increase the number if they have up to four representatives in the Top 15). However, the tournament is an individual stroke play tournament.
A look at Cameron Smith's performance at the Tokyo Olympics
Cameron Smith went from strength to strength at the Tokyo Olympics golf tournament. He scored 71 in the first round, 67 in the second round, and back-to-back 66s during the third and fourth rounds.
Smith finished T10 with a score of 14 under 270, just one stroke behind C.T. Pan who won the bronze medal. The event was won by Xander Schauffele with a score of 18 under, while Rory Sabbatini took the silver medal one stroke behind the champion.
Smith was accompanied by his compatriot Mark Leishman, who finished T51 with a score of 2 under. Several current LIV Golf stars like Mito Pereira (T4), Sebastian Muñoz (T4), Paul Casey (T4), Joaquin Niemann (T10) and Abraham Ancer (T14).