Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman’s defection to LIV Golf continues to be debated but a former pro believes it could all be part of a grand plan to help save Australian golf.
The Aussie stars are among the latest raft of players to have joined the controversial Saudi-backed tour with world No.2 Smith reported to have been paid $A140 million to sign on and Leishman as much as $A30m.
The capture of Smith is a huge coup for the Greg Norman-led rebel tour and while the 29-year-old is facing inevitable backlash over the decision, ex-Aussie tour star Paul Gow believes it is about much more than money for he and Leishman.
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“I think (in terms of the criticism) it’s the play on for him. I think it will be water off a duck’s back,” Gow said on the Big Sports Breakfast on Thursday. “But I think there’s a bigger play here for Marc Leishman and Cam Smith.”
“Let’s go back to the fact the PGA Tour changed to a wrap-around season which destroyed the Australian tour … we could only have one or two tournaments a year.
“Cam Smith and Marc Leishman, and I don’t know this for a fact — I’m just reading between the lines knowing these young men for a long time, they are very generous people.
“A lot of that money, yeah they’ll take care of their families, but I think they’re going to come back here and they are going to help Australian golf by setting up junior funds, setting up more golf tournaments for pathways, they’re going to do all this sort of stuff to help that out. That’s the type of people the are. It will go to a good cause.”
Gow was referencing the changes made to the PGA Tour schedule in 2007 that cut into the Australian summer, meaning local officials have struggled to lure big names over to play in events, including high-profile Australians.
LIV Golf is said to be planning an event in Australia in April and could host up to three events, according to Gow.
He said having 48 of the best players in the world — many who have never played in Australia — would be a “great thing” for golf in this country.
Gow also said it was telling the PGA Tour was now planning new events and initiatives to counter LIV Golf, having “sat on a war chest of money” for so long.
He said the ultimate goal was a revitalised Australian tour that could host up to 20 annual events and fit into a tied system — a long standing vision of Norman’s — under a global top-level world tour.
“I’m only worried about the Australian tour, I don’t give a damn about any other tour in the world because they don’t care about us,:” Gow said.
“It’s about the growth of our game, it’s about inviting new people into the game that aren’t the best players in the world — men, women and kids — and we haven’t done that well enough over the years because we haven’t had enough money. This is the injection we need.”
