Cam Smith really struggled at the BMW Australian PGA Championship this week, while the opposite can be said for Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott.
Smith missed the Australian PGA Championship cut on Friday, and he was truly shocked by the fact that he was forced to miss out on weekend golf in Brisbane.
After his second round 75, Smith shared his genuine confusion that his solid ball-striking on the range prior to teeing it up at the Australian PGA Championship culminated in a round of four-over-par just hours later.
The 32-year-old Queenslander has now missed weekend golf in his last seven events which have had halfway cuts.
Who do you think will win the Australian Open?
And Smith has admitted himself that he is nowhere near his best right now.
Now Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott have both spoken out about their fellow Australian’s struggles.
Min Woo Lee’s bold Cam Smith prediction ahead of the Australian Open
Smith is a three-time winner of the Australian PGA, so missing the cut this week would have really hurt him.
With the Australian Open just around the corner, Smith will be desperate to find some form quickly.
Min Woo Lee, who is just one shot off the lead at the Australian PGA Championship in Perth, was asked about Smith following his third-round 67.
And the 27-year-old made a prediction about his fellow Australian on Saturday, as quoted by Golf Digest Australia.
“Yeah, I mean that’s golf,” Lee said.
“It can be tough, and I think [Smith] is one of the best players out here and there is pressure. I feel like I’m one of the home favourites, but you still got to play really good golf.
“He didn’t have his best stuff, but next week he’s going to come out good. I think it’s just a bit of a fire in his belly over this weekend. I’m sure he’s going to head down [to Melbourne] and grind and then show something next week.”
Min Woo Lee is clearly convinced that Smith will be able to turn things around at Royal Melbourne next week.
However, considering his poor form during four-round events this season, the LIV Golf star has a lot of hard work to do over the next few days.
Adam Scott also delivers Cam Smith verdict
Scott delivered a really interesting take as to why Smith may have struggled this week in Brisbane, and it was all to do with his short game.
The 2013 Masters champion was asked if Smith is capable of winning next week at Royal Melbourne.
“Yeah, absolutely,“ Scott said.
“He’s got an incredible, incredible short game to lean into and actually that kind of gets a little neutralised here [at Royal Queensland] because it’s pretty grainy and even as great as he is [with wedges], it’s kind of not helping him as much as it would if he was having an off day with the ball-striking.
“When you’re as good as he is, of course he can, and it’s one swing, one chip, one putt here or there, and the momentum changes and the confidence can grow quickly in a hole or two, you know? It’s just putting four good swings and two putts together in a row and sometimes it’s really hard to do that, but that’s how it turns around and I’ve no doubt he can.”
Like Scott and Min Woo Lee said, Smith certainly has the talent and ability to win the Australian Open next week.
However, his game just doesn’t seem to be anywhere near sharp enough right now, and at the very highest level, it’s so hard to win with even your ‘B’ game, let alone your ‘C’ game.
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