Cameron Smith has hinted he is on the road to a swift recovery after he was forced to pull out from his final dress rehearsal on the LIV Golf circuit before his slated tilt at Masters glory.
The Australian finished as runner-up at Augusta National back in 2020 and will be vying to go one better on his return to the iconic course this year. Having defected to the rebel Saudi Arabian circuit in August 2022, the former world No. 2 has experienced success in the Gulf State with two individual LIV titles to his name – including at LIV Golf London.
However, the former Open champion’s quest for success at the Masters appeared to be in jeopardy during his last warm-up tournament prior to the illustrious event. Despite appearing in the first round at the LIV Golf Miami spectacle, he eventually was forced to withdraw.
It was later reported that Smith was suffering from a bout of food poisoning, particularly ill-timed with a return to Augusta National on the horizon. Taking to Twitter/X, the official LIV Golf account confirmed: “Cam Smith has withdrawn due to illness. Ben Campbell will replace him for Ripper GC.”
With Thursday’s opening round fast approaching, fears will have arisen within the Australian’s camp that an eighth Masters appearance could have been in doubt. During the opening round at Trump National Doral, Smith was a shadow of his usual self, posting 3-over 75.
Prior to this, the 32-year-old had been tipped as a major candidate to have the fabled green jacket bestowed upon him this month, given his recent record at the Masters. In fact, in his last six appearances at the iconic event, he has finished in the top ten on four occasions.
Any worries about Smith’s condition ahead of Augusta appeared to have been dismissed as the official LIV Golf website claimed his appearance was not in doubt, with their correspondence claiming that he will be ‘well enough to play’. Furthermore, Golf Australia purported that the country’s great hope said he was ‘getting there’ when asked about his health in Miami.
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