Australian Cameron Smith has become the latest huge-name player to jump ship and join the LIV Golf ranks, defecting alongside five others on Tuesday ahead of the breakaway circuit's fourth event.
Smith enjoyed his greatest moment in golf just over a month ago, triumphing at the 150th Open at the iconic St Andrews after producing a phenomenal final round display to leave huge favourite Rory McIlroy shocked.
Smith, from Brisbane, now sits as world No 2 and has been tipped to compete for more majors in the near future. However, immediately after his famous Open victory, talk turned to his potential involvement with LIV Golf which gathered more momentum as the weeks went by.
And now his move has officially been confirmed, which will come as a massive blow to the PGA Tour - who have been determined to fend off the breakaway circuit.
The 28-year-old, who has his best years ahead of him still following his first major win in Scotland, joins up with the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.
The Open champion is not the only man to have made the move on Tuesday, with fellow stars Joaquin Niemann, Marc Leishman, Anirban Lahiri, Harold Varner III and Cameron Tringale also added to the roster.
As a result all six of the new names will be in the field for LIV's fourth event in Boston later this week. Smith's move represents the Saudi-backed circuit's biggest coup yet, and its momentum looks set to continue much to the dismay of the PGA Tour.
Speculation over Smith's future had ramped up after fellow countryman Cam Percy claimed that he had already signed up to the rebel tour.
But Smith launched a scathing attack on his compatriot when quizzed about Percy's quotes in a press conference ahead of competing in the first FedEx Cup play-off at the St Jude Invitational on Thursday.
Smith said: "If there's something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour of LIV it will come from Cameron Smith not Cameron Percy.
"I'm a man of my word and whenever you guys (the press) need to know anything it will be said by me."
