PGA\u2019s awkward reunion and how secret meeting sealed return<\/a><\/p>\nADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 13: Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman and Team Ripper GC teammates during a press conference ahead of LIV Golf at The Grange Golf Club on February 13, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
There have been reports out of Spain that Rahm has no intentions of leaving LIV, while DeChambeau has had some fun with the dilemma on social media, posting an Instagram story asking his followers, \u2018what would you do?\u2019.<\/p>\n
He also raised eyebrows in an interview with Today\u2019s Golfer, saying: \ufeff\u201cI\u2019ve got a contract this year and that\u2019s just going to be an ever-evolving conversation. <\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, I\u2019m back next year. I\u2019m excited for the potential of LIV.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just has to make sense for both sides, and we\u2019ll move forward in a cool direction if that\u2019s the case. I certainly don\u2019t want to let [my Crushers GC teammates] down. <\/p>\n
DeChambeau added: \u201cI have no idea what\u2019s going to happen in a year, but what I can tell you is that we\u2019ll do everything possible to make it make sense for both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith did not divulge whether or not he is aware of his colleagues\u2019 intentions, although he did hint that he expects them both to stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t speak for the other guys, really, to be honest. I don\u2019t know what they\u2019re going to do,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have it pretty good out here and I\u2019ve made my decision. I can only assume that there\u2019s will be very similar.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut like I said, I can\u2019t comment on what they\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Australian also shared his disappointment at Koepka\u2019s decision, saying the five-time major champion\u2019s loss will be felt, but LIV will push on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it a shame to have him go? Absolutely, he\u2019s a star of the game,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think starting 2026 we\u2019re still going to have the best field that LIV\u2019s ever had, so on one side I\u2019m sad to see him go.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a good friend and yeah, it\u2019s not good, and on the other side I\u2019m really looking forward to what we\u2019re doing out here and we\u2019re going to have the strongest field we\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brooks Koepka quits LIV, returns to PGA | 01:26<\/p>\n
Smith was joined by Ripper GC teammates Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert in the press conference and the trio admitted that they could no address the reports that rising star Elvis Smylie is set to become the new fourth member of the all-Australian team.<\/p>\n
But Leishman did discuss the impact of his captain\u2019s show of faith in his Ripper team and the LIV product.<\/p>\n
The breakaway league\u2019s hierarchy will be relieved that next month\u2019s Adelaide event will maintain it\u2019s main drawcard on the golf course, but Leishman believes there was never any need for any nerves about his great mate\u2019s next move. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say either of us were surprised to hear him say that,\u201d Leishman told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what you hear about LIV Golf, it\u2019s a great place to play. It\u2019s really competitive. We have a lot of fun. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve smiled more in the last four years than I have in quite a few years before that. I\u2019ve got the wrinkles to prove it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t surprised at all that he\u2019s staying. Obviously it\u2019s a big loss with Brooks but that\u2019s his decision. I\u2019m sure he had his reasons for it, but I would have been surprised if Cam had have said anything different, having spent the last four years with him out here.\u201d<\/p>\n
First place team champions, Matt Jones of Ripper GC, Marc Leishman of Ripper GC, Captain Cameron Smith of Ripper GC and Lucas Herbert of Ripper GC pose for a photo with the Team Champion Event Trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Miami at Trump National Doral on Sunday, April 06, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard\/LIV Golf)Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
Outside of LIV\u2019s current 11 event schedule for this year, Smith\u2019s decision means his future remains clouded.<\/p>\n
Time is running out on his five-year exemption into all four majors following his 2022 Open Championship triumph at St Andrews, while his hopes of a second Olympic appearance are effectively dead in the water if LIV cannot gain world ranking points.<\/p>\n
Smith\u2019s current ranking stands at 207, having jumped up more than 150 places courtesy of his second place finish at last month\u2019s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.<\/p>\n
His ranking suffered from missing the cut in all four majors last year, but having been as high as second in the world before jumping ship to LIV Golf, it is not a fair reflection of the 32-year-old\u2019s ability.<\/p>\n
Nor is it anywhere near good enough to earn a major start once his exemption lapses.<\/p>\n
LIV are still working hard to obtain Official World Golf Rankings with their move to four-round, 72-hole tournaments this year the key driver, but it remains to be scene whether they will be given a significant boost.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, 72 holes helps us get world ranking points,\u201d Herbert said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a tricky battle over the last few years. We\u2019ve been in and we\u2019ve been out, and we\u2019re back in with wanting the points.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s the best option for us, obviously qualifying for the majors, but also being a part of the golf ecosystem.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving our players ranked appropriately in the world rankings, I think it\u2019s an important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite the PGA Tour opening up the possibility of a comeback, Cameron Smith is staying put. The Australian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411033,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[2095,64,63,689,217471,3193,5506,2057,217472,66706,2755,2105,755,9262,29459,5494,2041,2067,677,15773,217473,668,29453,23508,217474,3595,2020,85,102313,2614],"class_list":["post-411032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-america","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-board-voting","tag-cameron-smith","tag-elvis-smylie","tag-europe","tag-ever-evolving-conversation","tag-family-life","tag-florida","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-golf","tag-golf-course","tag-golf-world","tag-marc-leishman","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-oceania","tag-olive-branch","tag-pga-board","tag-press-conference","tag-professional-game","tag-sarah","tag-sealed-bombshell-return","tag-southern-europe","tag-spain","tag-sports","tag-the-grange-golf-club","tag-united-states-of-america"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411032"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411032\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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