Cameron Smith cannot defend his title at The Players this week - but could cause a stir as a paying punter at the PGA Tour 's flagship event instead.
Reigning champion Smith will be the most notable omission from a star-studded field at TPC Sawgrass following his defection to LIV Golf.
Smith surrendered his chance to become the first back-to-back winner of the prestigious tournament when ditching the PGA Tour for the riches of the Saudi-funded LIV breakaway tour last summer.
The Australian stunned the golfing world when he became the latest renegade to join the disruptive circuit just days after ousting Rory McIlroy to win the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
The world No.5 was the most significant coup yet for his countryman Greg Norman, who is fronting the LIV enterprise. But Smith's status as a LIV player means he is permanently banned from all PGA Tour events and he is now the first champion who will not be defending his title at The Players for non-injury reasons.
Coincidentally, Smith resides in the Ponte Vedra Beach area of Florida where the iconic PGA Tour event is held, making his absence from the field even more unusual. But while he won't be teeing it up at TPC Sawgrass, Smith has revealed that he is contemplating walking the course as a spectator instead.
“I’m a little bit unsure you know? That’s where I live now so, I don’t know, I’ll definitely be watching on TV," he said in an interviewed shared by Golf.com.
"I think it’s a great event to watch. I grew up my whole childhood watching the event and yeah, I’d love to get out there. I don’t know how it would be received but even getting out there and watching, walking around in the crowd might be pretty funny.”
Smith has lost his practising and playing membership privileges at TPC Sawgrass but his native Australian flag is still flying outside the clubhouse, recognising last year's epic one-shot victory over Anirban Lahiri in the weather-delayed 2022 event.
But it appears Smith is undecided how he will spend his time during the tournament, after he also claimed last month that he will stay well away and go fishing.
“I think it'll be a pretty quiet week on the water,” he told Golf Digest at the season-opening LIV event in Mexico. “I think all the residents will be out watching the golf tournament. So I’ll be able to strap out and have the water to myself.”
