Cameron Smith's shock reveal as Greg Norman unveils bold LIV plan for Masters

Australian LIV Golf star Cameron Smith admits he was surprised by the warm reception he received from rival PGA Tour players during practice for this week's Masters tournament. Smith is one of several LIV Golf stars competing at the Augusta National major, which has opted not to enforce the PGA Tour's ban on players from Greg Norman's Saudi-backed rebel circuit.

LIV's multi-billion dollar foray into golf has driven a wedge between the sport, with plenty of bad blood and choice words exchanged between stars in the rival competitions. However, Smith says he was somewhat shocked by the reception he received when hitting the practice range ahead of the 87th edition of the iconic major.

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"I spent probably an hour out on the range already this afternoon. It was good to see some familiar faces. Lots of laughs and lots of handshakes, smiles and hugs," Smith said. "It was really nice. I really wasn't sure what I was going to expect walking on to the range.

"I was just kind of letting it all happen naturally. Went out on to the range and did my stuff, did my work and, yeah, it was just a really nice experience. I kind of wanted that, not only for myself but just for the game of golf.

"There's a lot of stuff going on at the moment that doesn't need to be going on, especially in the media. I think it's definitely wound up a little bit too much. There's too much rubbish going on, basically. I don't think there's any kind of hatred going on between the players. We are all happy where we are, and I'm just as happy for the guys winning out on the PGA Tour as I am for the LIV golfers, as well."

The reigning British Open champion and World No.5 is the highest-ranked LIV Golf player in this week's Masters field. Other notable LIV stars in the mix are past champions Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel, as well as major winners Bryson DeChambeau, Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka.

LIV Golf boss Norman has stoked the competitive fires before the Masters by promising one hell of a celebration if one of his stars wins the coveted green jacket. The Aussie golfing great - who has copped plenty of flak for heading up the Saudi-backed rebel tour - said it will give him "goosebumps" if one of the 18 LIV players can triumph at the Masters.

“If one of our guys wins, no matter who it is, they are all going to be there on the 18th green and that just gives me goosebumps to think about,” Norman told NewsCorp. “To have those 17 other guys there, that’s the spirit we want. That’s what these guys talk about. They’re saying no matter who wins, no matter who is in that position, we’re going to be there.”

LIV Golf stars have a point to prove

Norman's LIV contingent have agreed to forgo wearing branding that promotes the rebel tour out of respect for the traditions at Augusta National. However, Smith says his LIV compatriots have a point to prove after the overwhelming criticism they've faced about the standard of the 54-hole format competition.

"There's a lot of chatter about (how) these guys don't play real golf; these guys don't play real golf courses. For sure, I'll be the first one to say, the fields aren't as strong. I'm the first one to say that," Smith said.

"But we've still got a lot of guys up there that can play some really serious golf, and we compete against each other hard week in and week out and we're trying to do the same things that we did six months ago. Yeah, I think we just need a good, strong finish."

The 29-year-old says he has no regrets about joining the Norman-led tour despite struggling to rediscover the magic touch that saw him clinch a career-best five titles in 2022. Smith's golden run included that iconic British Open success, as well as golf's 'fifth major' at the PGA Tour's Players Championship.

Smith has four top-10 finishes at Augusta, including a runner-up in 2020 and third last year after playing in the final group on Sunday with eventual champion Scottie Scheffler. He hopes Augusta National can again bring out the best in him in 2023.

"Driving down Magnolia Lane, I don't even know how to describe it. It's just like a love for this place. This is my happy place and I love being here," he said. "I feel like no matter how I've played here in the past, I've always been somewhat happy with how the week has gone. I'm tournament-ready. I'm confident that I can win."

Smith spearheads a five-strong Australian challenge this year and will play a practice round on Tuesday with compatriots Min Woo Lee, amateur star Harrison Crowe, who is making his Masters debut, and 2013 champion Adam Scott. Jason Day is the other Aussie in the field.

with AAP

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