'It Would Be Heartbreaking' - Smith On Potential Masters Snub

Earlier this year, the Claret Jug winner changed allegiances and left the PGA Tour for Greg Norman’s LIV Golf. The reason given was down to playing in a new schedule that is condensed into a smaller period of time which prioritizes golf worldwide.

Speaking at the sixth LIV Golf event in Bangkok, the Australian told ABC Grandstand that “I think for me, I’m just really excited to have the opportunity to play around the world again.”

WHAT IS LIV GOLF?

 Smith then went on to add: “It’s (PGA Tour schedule) brutal, to be honest. (But with LIV) having a smaller schedule condensed down into a small period of time, I think we’ll be quite busy there for four or five months but I’ve been able to have some time off and really develop the game.”

However, there is still the overhanging problem of LIV players being banned from Major championships. This is something that is weighing on the 29-year-old's mind, with Smith claiming that he would be ‘heartbroken’ if a Masters ban was forced upon him, as the Augusta National Board deliberate the inclusion of LIV players. 

According to a lawsuit originally filed by 11 former PGA Tour players back in August, Augusta National threatened to uninvite LIV golfers from next year's event if they left the PGA Tour which obviously wouldn’t bode well for Smith. 

Previously, the Australian would have been exempt to play in all four Majors due to his win at St Andrews in July, but the change of allegiance is a cause of concern for the recently crowned LIV winner.

“I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get back there. It's a place that I love and I've got a pretty good record around there too. It would be heartbreaking if I couldn't get back there.”

Smith has indeed got an incredible record around Augusta where he has achieved four Top 10 finishes in just six outings - his best finish coming in November’s Masters back in 2020, which saw him finish runner-up behind eventual winner, Dustin Johnson.

It hasn’t taken long him long though to substantially increase his earnings since joining LIV Golf. After claiming victory in Chicago, where he battled it out with aforementioned Masters champion, Johnson, and Peter Uilhein, he picked up the $4 million first prize.

Overall, the 29-year-old has banked a cool $6.2million, which is almost triple his winnings from The Open Championship, but the current Players champion was unable to add another trophy to his cabinet at this week's LIV event in Bangkok where he finished T41.