In a surprising turn of form, Cam Smith is right in contention for a victory at the Australian Open in his home country.
Cam Smith missed the cut at the Australian PGA Championship last week after a disastrous second round performance, but he’s bounced back superbly at Royal Melbourne to throw himself into contention for the win.
He’s two shots off the leading Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson after three rounds. Smith has shot 70-65-66 to lead all Australians at the tournament in a shocking turn of form.
It would be a vitally important win for Smith, who has been in poor form since joining LIV Golf. His last victory was in 2022.
After his round, he revealed what his plan is for the final day as he looks to chase down Neergaard-Peterson for the win.
Cam Smith’s plan for winning the Australian Open
Smith looks comfortable at Royal Melbourne and looks back to his brilliant best. But he’s not getting ahead of himself with this incredibly challenging course.
He said his plan for the final day is to keep playing the right shots and see where he stands down the stretch.
He said, “I think you’ve just got to play the golf course; I know it sounds very cliched, but there are some golf courses where you can just get out there and hit it at the pin all day to try to shoot eight or nine-under, but it’s not this place.
What should be the punishment for LIV golfers who want to return to the PGA Tour?
“If you play the right shots, hopefully you can get yourself into position to win the last few holes.”
Smith has finished second three times in 2025, and looks to go one better in his home country in a long-awaited return to winning ways.
Cam Smith didn’t feel comfortable despite contending for Australian Open
Despite being in contention for the victory, Smith seemed disappointed with his performance following his third round.
He said, “I just feel like I didn’t have my best stuff out there today. I definitely didn’t feel as comfortable over the ball.
“But just kind of went through the process and hit the right shots, and didn’t really shy away from that. So I was happy I did that. That was probably what I was most impressed with.”
After a bogey-free Friday, Smith had two blemishes on his scorecard on Saturday, so you can see why he might be a little downbeat after the round. He’d be tied for the lead without those bogeys.
But five birdies and an eagle made for a successful outing. He’s now ready to contend at the top of the leaderboard on the final day of action.
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