Cameron Smith has reportedly signed a deal in excess of $100m to join LIV Golf, the Telegraph reports.
The Telegraph say that Smith was offered around $100m prior to the 150th Open and agreed a deal in principle but sources said "his fee will have gone up" after sealing the title and becoming Champion Golfer of the Year at St Andrews, which took him to a career-high of second in the world.
Smith is apparently set to tee it up in the very next event on the LIV Golf schedule in Boston from September 2-4 after the completion of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. An official announcement is not expected until after the Playoffs, the Telegraph says. Smith could potentially join LIV Golf as Open champion, FedEx Cup champion and the World No.1 in what would be a huge blow to the PGA Tour.
The Aussie is teeing it up this week at the FedEx St Jude Championship in week one of the Playoffs, where $18m goes to the winner at East Lake in two weeks' time.
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If Smith does join LIV, it would also be a huge blow to the Presidents Cup as he would become ineligible after the PGA Tour announced suspensions to all current and future LIV players when the series' opening event got underway. Other players ineligible for the Presidents Cup due to LIV involvement include Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Carlos Ortiz.
Rumours have been circulating over the future of the Smith for weeks now, especially after he failed to deny whispers that he was heading to the Greg Norman-fronted league in his winning press conference following his Claret Jug triumph. "My team around me worries about all that stuff. I'm here to win golf tournaments," he said.
PGA Tour veteran Cam Percy told the Golf Gambling Podcast that both Smith and fellow Aussie Marc Leishman will join LIV, saying "unfortunately, yeah. They're gone." He later clarified his comments, saying his source was from talking to other players, not Smith and Leishman.
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