Open Championship winner Cameron Smith is reportedly set to lead six more stars joining the rebel Saudi tour as the LIV Golf saga continues. Smith wrote himself into the sport’s history books by winning the Claret Jug at St Andrews on Sunday.
The Aussie star shot a superb eight-under-par 64 in his final round to topple overnight leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland. The successful week on the Old Course provided the sport a much-needed break between the ongoing battle between LIV Golf and the PGA and DP World Tours.
However, in the wake of his historic Open victory, multiple reports suggest newly crowned Champion Golfer of The Year Smith could be the next man to make the Saudi switch.
According to the Telegraph , LIV Golf boss - and last Aussie to win the Claret Jug prior to Smith - Greg Norman is hoping to form an all-Australian team in the Series which he hopes will include both the Open champion and 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott. Reports have also suggested that Smith's Australian Olympic teammate Marc Leishman is also set to follow suit.
The 150th Open champion was quizzed on whether he would be joining the breakaway circuit following his win on Sunday, and seemed less than impressed with the line of questioning.
In response, the 28-year-old said at St Andrews: “I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that's pretty not that good.”
Revealing that it is his ‘team around him worry’ about such situations, he added: “I don't know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I'm here to win golf tournaments."
Now it is reported that the Champion Golfer of The Year is to lead a new cohort of stars switching over to the controversial series. Tommy Fleetwood had been linked with a move, however, the Englishman has since ruled out the switch - according to Sky Sports.
Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson is also poised to make the controversial move, which is set to cost him his European captaincy, according to Swedish outlet Expressen . As well as this 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama - as reported by Mirror Sport - is also expected to be a target join for Norman, with another green jacket winner Bubba Watson also heavily linked to a Saudi switch.
