One’s a Queensland legend who can lay claim to being the world’s best in his chosen sport who is among its highest paid and forensically picks apart rugby league defences. He’s also adored the Broncos as a kid and is mobbed by kids everywhere he goes.
Then there’s Cameron Smith the rugby league player.
Want to know what a couple of sporting years can do?
The NRL’s greatest player of all time walked off the 18th green after the Australian PGA Pro-Am at Royal Queensland on Wednesday following a round with his namesake, signed a few autographs, posed for a few photos and life went on.
A few steps ahead of him, the golfing Smith and reigning The Open champion was gang-tackled as he sought some respite. He’s the hottest property in the sport right now. He can’t move a few steps without ceding to a fan request. He accommodates all of them.
He always wanted to be a professional rugby league player, and now he must know what it was like to be caught up in a tangle of arms and legs underneath the human octopus, who knew exactly the right amount of leeway he had in each State of Origin tackle.
Cameron Smith the rugby league player with his golfing namesake before the Australian PGA Pro-Am at Royal Queensland on Wednesday.Credit:Dan Peled
To start the day, Cameron Smith the rugby league player gave the golfer a Queensland jersey. It had No.9 on the back, a nod to Origin’s record breaker.
“But when he turned it around he said, ‘Oh no, I’m a halfback. I tell you what to do’,” Smith, the rugby league version, laughed. “That was a good moment. Very rarely you get the opportunity to get to play with someone as good as Cam.”
The world No.3 golfer didn’t have his trademark maroon shirt on for the Pro-Am. That will be saved for Sunday.
Off the first tee, the rugby league Smith hit what could only be described as a shocker. There was a smattering of people watching. He would pierce sideline conversions between the posts in front of 80,000 and not flinch, but the knees knock when in the company of golfing greatness, one who idolised him on the footy field.
Fair to say, Smith the teen handicapper got much better as the round went on.
Adam Scott and Olympic gold medal winner Natalie Cook during the 2022 Australian PGA Championship Pro-Am.Credit:Getty
“He spoke about how when he was a young fella watching State of Origin and [how he loved] those teams I was lucky enough to be a part of,” Smith said.
“That’s pretty cool to think a guy who is regarded by many as the greatest golfer in the world at the moment, knows he had a good time watching us play footy. If we’ve done any small thing to help him win those [big tournaments] in particular, that’s pretty special.”
A hole behind, Adam Scott finished his Pro-Am and learned the news he’d won as much money from a crazy PGA Tour handout than the whole Australian PGA tournament is worth.
The often-derided player impact program results were released in the United States. It’s a way for the PGA Tour to siphon money to its biggest stars for, ahem, “generating positive media coverage”. How would you possibly measure it? Anti-LIV tweets? Instagram stories on tour? Jay Monahan tributes?
Tiger Woods won. He banked $22 million, and he barely plays anymore. Scott came in with $3 million as part of the top 20. Ditto Jason Day.
But even that free money doesn’t excuse you from the vagaries of early tee times, of which Scott will have one in the Australian PGA first round. He’s off at 6am alongside Smith and New Zealand’s world No.27 Ryan Fox. It will be the earliest he’s ever started a round in his professional career (thank you, Queensland, no daylight saving).
“I have a rule I have to be up three hours before a tee time,” said Scott, whose alarm is already set for 3am. “The past years of my career I’ve suffered in the early rounds trying to milk the most sleep, rush through a warm-up and you’re not really alert and firing. Two-over through four could be costly at the end of the week.”
Cameron Smith the rugby league player with his golfing namesake before the Australian PGA Pro-Am at Royal Queensland on Wednesday.Credit:Australian Golf Media
Scott means business in the PGA and Australian Open over the next fortnight, but he’s also here for business. He’s just launched a phone app called Fairgame, a digital clubhouse designed to connect golfers all around the world. So much was the demand, he had to bring forward the Australian launch.
“Personally, I love getting an alert when my friends have teed off and see what they shoot,” Scott said. “Just be in touch with my mates. Especially when I’m overseas, I have no idea where their golf is at. That’s an interest of mine.”
Everything was fair game for Lucas Herbert in a rapid media call on Wednesday, including his Presidents Cup omission. He might win the Australian PGA this week, or at least is one of the chosen few expected to challenge Smith, but it will come with him still steaming over missing the International side that played at Quail Hollow.
“I was really pissed off I didn’t make that team,” Herbert said. “I thought I had a lot to offer and I felt like my form was decent leading up to it. I didn’t think I was out of form, so I was pretty disappointed when I got the call to say that I wasn’t in the team.”
But maybe not as disappointed as Smith was to receive a Queensland jersey with No.9 on the back.
Because on the golf course, he’s the boss.
Watch the Australian PGA Championship on the 9Network and 9Now from November 24-27.
