Cameron Smith has joined Jon Rahm in calling for LIV Golf to add a links event to its calendar to aid preparation for The Open.
LIV Golf players were unable to get the necessary links preparation for Royal Troon this year due to the Valderrama event taking place the week before, with the iconic treelined Spanish venue offering up a contrasting test to the much colder, windier and firmer conditions on show at Royal Troon.
Jon Rahm was the only LIV player to finish inside the top-10 in Scotland, while no LIV golfers were in the top-10 at the 2023 Open.
“It was really two polar opposites of golf,” Cameron Smith told news.com.au's Marco Monteverde on the differences between LIV Golf Valderrama and the following week's Open Championship.
“It was really hot [at Valderrama], the ball was going a long way up in altitude, and then getting on to links (at Royal Troon) where it’s quite cold and windy, it’s probably not the best prep," Smith, who missed the cut at Royal Troon, continued.
“It’s definitely something that we spoke about. They [LIV Golf] are well aware of that.
“I don’t know if it’ll happen next year, but definitely in the future it’s something that we want to do.”
Smith's words echo those of Jon Rahm, who told Golf Digest's Evin Priest in July that he is "pushing" for a links event to be added to the LIV Golf schedule.
“I would hope so; I'm pushing for it. There's so much that goes into adjusting to links golf; getting used to the greens and the ball reacting on the ground. I didn’t think about it until after [Troon], but it's undeniable how much it helps to play a links golf course the week before the Open," the Spaniard said.
“Obviously, LIV management have contracts in place with some venues and plans in the future. It's not as easy as it sounds to just say, ‘Well, let's do this.’ [But] it'd be something I would like to talk to other players about because that way, there’s strength in numbers if five, six or 10 solid players [all agree]. I think a lot of people might agree with it.”
Every Open champion since Shane Lowry in 2019 has played in the Scottish Open the week before their Claret Jug triumph, although Lowry did tee it up in the Irish Open at Lahinch two weeks before his victory.
Francesco Molinari (2018) and Jordan Spieth (2017) did not play in the Scottish Open either, but they did have a free week before The Open to get links golf practice in, something that this year's LIV Golf schedule did not allow.
Smith is reportedly 'confident' that the 2025 LIV Golf League schedule will help him prepare for the Majors better - albeit it's not yet known if a links event will be added.
“The schedule we got next year, we’re playing a little bit more before that first Major [The Masters, April],” he said.
“That was the change that was made for us players, and they’ve done a really good job of acknowledging that and making some changes.
“We’re here back in Australia a bit earlier next year [LIV Adelaide in February], and a lot of time in Asia as well, so there’s a few big tournaments before the Masters and then going into Major season.”
Smith was speaking to the media ahead of a busy stretch Down Under. He's in his home city of Brisbane this week ahead of the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club before teeing it up in the the New South Wales Open at Murray Downs in two weeks' time.
He'll then turn his attention to the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland GC between November 21-24, an event he has won three times, ahead of the Australian Open at Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Club between November 28 and December 1 to round out his year.
