|
Fresh from winning his third Australian PGA Championship on
Sunday, British Open champion Smith is favourite to win a first
Stonehaven Cup on the return of the national Open after COVID-19
wiped out the last two editions.
Smith has already won five titles across circuits in a break-out
season, but the mullet-haired 29-year-old has long coveted his
country's most prestigious golf trophy and wants to sign off the
year in style.
"I haven't won one of these yet and this has been on my radar
now for a long time," Smith told reporters on Tuesday.
"I've been close a few times and haven't quite got it done, so
no better week than to win one in Melbourne."
Smith's high-profile switch to the Saudi-backed LIV Series for a
reported $150 million drew criticism from some pundits and fans,
but he has enjoyed a warm reception on his first trip home after
three COVID-blighted years.
The Brisbane native soaked up the cheers of home fans at Royal
Queensland on Sunday, claiming the A$2 million PGA Championship
by three strokes.
He will again be the main drawcard at the Australian Open, which
will spill across Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath, two of
the courses on Melbourne's 'Sandbelt'.
The tournament, co-sanctioned with Europe's DP World Tour, has a
rich history, with Rory McIlory and twice winner Jordan Spieth
among the champions over the past decade.
Smith missed out on the 2016 trophy at Royal Sydney in a
three-man playoff won by Spieth.
Smith's main rivals this week are likely to be local, though,
with Adam Scott and Marc Leishman in the field.
New Zealander Ryan Fox, runner-up to McIlroy in the DP World
Tour's 'Race to Dubai', will be keen to make amends after
missing the cut in Queensland.
Apart from sharing in the A$1.7 million ($1.14 million) prize
pot, the top three players not already exempt for next year's
British Open will earn spots in the major at Royal Liverpool.
Home hero and world number four Minjee Lee headlines the women's
event, which has equal prizemoney to the men's.
U.S. Open champion Lee, whose younger brother Min Woo Lee will
tee off in the men's event, will battle South African British
Open champion Ashleigh Buhai and a slew of major winners.
Accommodating the dual gender event has meant compromises. Both
the men's and women's fields will be slashed to 30 players after
the third round on Saturday.
Most players have been supportive of the concept, though,
particularly the Lee siblings, whose paths do not normally cross
on tour.
"Playing with Min Woo and being able to see him is really
special to me," said Minjee Lee.
"Just being back in Australia I think is really cool."
($1 = 1.4932 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
