Cameron Smith Rues 'Irrelevant' World Rankings As He Bemoans His Standing

Cameron Smith has revealed his frustrations with the Official World Golf Rankings after branding them "irrelevant".

Australian pro Smith is 11th in the World Rankings and claims he should be a lot higher after two wins in the LIV series and two top tens in two Majors this year. Smith, who won The Open at St Andrews last year and got to No.2 in the world, came tied ninth at the PGA Championship and fourth at the US Open this year. 

Smith also sits top of the LIV individual standings but, currently, the circuit doesn't offer OWGR points. This has left Smith outside the top ten in the world as the implications over his move begin to bite. So, while Smith has banked millions on LIV and could earn ever more in their final three events as the lucrative series reaches it crescendo, it has not all been positive for the Aussie, who is likely to fall out of automatic Olympic qualification for the Paris Games next year. 

Asked about the rankings, the 30-year-old, admitted: “It’s a hard one to let go but I feel like it’s almost become irrelevant, especially for how I’ve played. Even during the Majors. I didn’t win a Major this year but I had a fourth and ninth in there as well, so a pretty solid Major season. 

“If I didn’t play well in those four events, I think you’d find me way outside where I am at the moment. I don’t think it’s a very accurate reflection of where I am at the moment, but that’s just the way it is.”

Smith's slide down the rankings means he has long abandoned his pursuit of the World No.1 spot, which he was close to after his maiden Major win at St Andrews. But it hasn’t diminished Smith’s hunger as he prepares to return Down Under later this year to play in the Australian Open from November 30 - December 3 at the Australian GC & The Lakes GC.

“We‘re competitors and I think everyone wants to win,” Smith added. “So every time we were up at a golf tournament, you should want to win. It definitely hasn’t changed for me at all.” 

After completing the LIV season in Miami next month at the Team Championship, Smith will tee it up at the Hong Kong Open at the start of November. He’ll then fly back home for an extended stay when he will aim to lift a maiden Australian Open after underperforming last year in the event when he missed the cut. 

He reflected to news.com: "I think I just need to do a better job of managing some time within that first week. I just felt really lethargic the next week and obviously didn’t play that good, so it’s a bit of a bummer.”