The large majority of LIV Golf has been in the field this week at the PIF Saudi International – but several big names will not be involved over the final two rounds.
Six of the top seven in the International Series event come from LIV Golf, with Anthony Kim the standout name among the pace-setters. Kim posted his lowest score since 2011 in the second round to sit three shots off the lead.
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But a number of notable figures will play no further part.
Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia finished on one under par, while Dustin Johnson is also done for the week after a 74 on Thursday.
But it is another player who missed the cut who has attracted plenty of attention on social media.
LIV Golf star accused of wasting his talent after missing another cut
Cam Smith posted two rounds of 71 in Saudi Arabia, leaving him at level par for the tournament.
Remarkably, it means that he has missed the cut in all six events he has played in 2025 which offer world ranking points. Of course, that includes all four majors.
And there is a sense of frustration and disappointment among fans. The Australian joined LIV just weeks after winning The Open Championship. He was also the world number two.
However, it has been a truly miserable year on the course. He finished 18th in the LIV standings after producing just one top five finish.
One golf fan suggested that no player’s game has suffered more from making the jump, writing: “Perhaps the biggest drop off of anyone who went to LIV“. Another said: “IMO, when we look back on the entire LIV episode, his career may turn out to be the biggest “what if” of all. Rahm seems to largely be the same player still but if you compare Cam Smith’s trajectory pre-LIV to today, it’s one of the greatest collapses in golf.“
Smith was also criticised, with one person posting: “The LIV effect in full flow. What a colossal waste.”
Several noted that he just does not appear to have the hunger anymore. “I just don’t think he actually cares about the game of golf; just sees it as a job,” one person wrote.
Another claimed: “The competitive edge isn’t there. When you get all the money you need and the wins won’t really be memorialized, what’s the point? Whether they want to admit it or not.” Someone else said: “He just wants to fish now. I do miss watching him play though.”
There was a defence of Smith, however, with one person posting: “He has generational wealth and a national hero. The world doesn’t revolve around the PGA. Sorry to burst your bubble.”
How much Cam Smith has earned on the PGA Tour during his career
It always seems bizarre when people defend LIV Golf players for opting for the riches on offer. Smith has made more than $29 million on the PGA Tour during his career.
That is clearly life-changing money to almost everyone on the planet.
Smith is entitled to want even more. He probably does a lot of fantastic things with the money he has been given by LIV.
But Gary Player suggested Smith was on the cusp of becoming a superstar when he made the move. It is going to take quite the turnaround for the 32-year-old to realise that potential in the future.
Smith will care that he has played six events with a cut this year and missed every single one.
But it is fair to ask whether LIV giving him so much has actually left him wondering what there is to motivate him professionally.
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