Cam Smith takes aim at golfer who was recently tipped as ‘perfect’ signing for Ripper GC

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LIV Golf star Cameron Smith cut a frustrated figure after the second day’s play of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Smith is six-under for the tournament after failing to build on his excellent first round. The Aussie carded a level-par 72 at Kingston Heath; however, the scorecard doesn’t tell the whole story.

Smith was five under for the day heading to the back nine, and only one shot back of the lead. But, after being placed on the clock along with his playing partner Elvis Smylie, Smith collapsed, carding three bogeys and a double to finish the day eight shots back of leader Lucas Herbert.

And Smith, unsurprisingly, took aim at Smylie’s pace of play in his post-round press conference.

Cameron Smith takes aim at Elvis Smylie at Australian Open

Smylie, fresh off winning the BMW Australian PGA Championship, is one of the country’s hottest prospects, and the 22-year-old’s good form has continued in Victoria. Smylie is nine under for the tournament after carding a 64 at Kingston Heath.

Smith, however, felt the youngster was responsible for the group being put on the clock midway through the second day.

“I don’t get put on the clock too often,” Smith said after his round. “I feel like we do a pretty good job. There is a common denominator there that’s a little bit slower.”

“It’s not something I like because I feel like I’m a pretty fast-paced player as it is, so being put on the clock is just another thing. “I feel like I did my best to play as quick as I can, and I feel like I’m running around. I just made a couple of poor choices. We got on the clock there, and it didn’t seem like we were playing that slow; it felt like we were just rushing.”

The LIV man added: “[I] made some really poor choices mentally, I think, led to a few bogeys. You kind of get on that train in that wind, and it’s not a good spot to be in.”

• READ MORE: Cam Smith details honest thoughts on his decision to move to LIV Golf in 2022

Cam Smith’s comments come after Elvis Smylie was tipped for LIV Golf move

Interestingly, Smith’s comments come just after Smylie was tipped as a ‘perfect’ signing for Ripper GC. Eddie Pepperell, speaking on the Chipping Forecast, suggested the young Aussie could well be a replacement for Matt Jones in the not-to-distant future.

“You joked about LIV there, but that crossed my mind immediately,” said Pepperell. “He (Smylie) seems he would be the perfect fit to replace someone like Matt Jones, who is a fourth and most obvious Ripper you could get rid of.”

Ripper GC look set to name an unchanged lineup for the 2025 LIV Golf season. The quarter made up of Smith, Herbert, Jones, and Marc Leishman won the Team Championship, which took place in Dallas in mid-September.

Elvis Smylie response to Cam Smith slow play complaint

Smylie has also reacted after being placed on the clock, and the 22-year-old believes he kept up a good pace of play at Kingston Heath.

“It’s a group thing; it’s not an individual. I feel like I do a very good job whenever I am in the position when I have to keep up with the pace of play,” Smylie said.

“I did a really good job of just focusing on my own game, especially when we were falling a little bit behind, pace-wise. I was just trying to do my best of walking to the ball and making sure I did my routine, process, and go as soon as I was there to keep the pace up.

“I wasn’t really too concerned what Victor and Cam were doing, but eight-under today, I’m really happy with that.”