Cameron Smith Makes a Tough Decision, Then Thrives at PGA Championship

Cam Smith called it “one of the most difficult phone calls I’ve ever had to make.”

The Aussie had just missed his sixth consecutive cut in a major championship at the Masters. And he knew something needed to change.

So he phoned his coach, Grant Field. The two had worked together for 23 years, since Smith was 9 years old. Smith, however, decided he needed a new voice guiding his swing. Ultimately, Smith hired Claude Harmon III, the son of renowned coach Butch, who has worked with Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson.

“It’s still kind of lingering, but I feel like I've made the right call,” Smith said of the coaching switch. “I can see it in my golf and my strike of the ball and seeing some different shots. It’s been nice."

That was evident at the PGA Championship. Smith finished T7, five strokes back of winner Aaron Rai (though Smith was vying for the clubhouse lead before Rai’s impeccable back nine).

“It feels great to play nice,” Smith said after a final-round 68. “You don’t work hard to play crap, and it’s frustrating, and the last couple of years have been frustrating. I feel like I’ve been putting in the work and not really getting anything out of it.”

He added: “[Harmon III and I], we’ve just managed to clean up a few things that were perhaps a little bit off, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more confidence in my swing.”

Smith rose to No. 2 in the world after winning the 2022 British Open, but left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf a few weeks after. Since then, he recorded four LIV victories, with the last coming in 2023. And after opening the 2024 major season with a T6 at the Masters, the 32-year-old placed T63 and T32 at the ensuing PGA Championship and U.S. Open, before the six missed cuts.

Cam Smith moves into a tie for second with his second birdie in four holes at the 4th. 👏#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/YegbyEQiZV
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 17, 2026

What went wrong?

“Just think you lose a little bit of confidence in your swing and maybe in your brain,” he said, “and it can all happen so quickly.”

Harmon III elaborated on the technicalities to Sky Sports.

“Really trying to get the backswing not being so deep and inside,” he said. “It’s been getting quick and inside, and then as [Smith’s] shoulders turn, the club’s been getting across the line. And he’s been fighting Peter Pan, the hook. So, widened out the stance a little bit, just trying to get the backswing in a little bit better position, so he doesn’t have to think so much on the downswing.”

Smith began the final round at Aronimink four strokes back. Then, he was within striking distance of the lead after a 3-under front nine. But the driver and putter, his strength, failed to cooperate after making the turn, in which he shot 1 over.

How Cam Smith's key clubs let him down late at Aronimink

He was close to last in the field in driving accuracy on Sunday, hitting just 21.43% of his fairways (he hit 41% of them all week). In strokes-gained putting, Smith was 14th in the field, gaining 4.5 strokes on the greens through all four rounds. In the final round, though, he gained only 0.272 strokes with the flatstick.

“Hit a few wayward drives there on the back nine, but still had a few looks at birdie and just wasn't able to capitalize on the back nine,” Smith said. “Yeah, a little bit frustrating with the putter today, but that’s golf.”

Still, he felt something at Aronimink that he hadn’t in a long time. That itself is a win.

“That’s why we compete,” he said. “We compete to win, and it was nice to get the heart rate up and, you know, feel your hands and your legs get a little bit jelly. It was cool. And I’m happy with how I played with all that going on as well.”

Sometimes, finding success forces tough conversations. But if it helps Smith achieve glory again, it’ll be worth it.

“I needed a fresh voice in the head and kind of almost a restart,” Smith said, “and like I said, it felt good so far.”