Cameron Smith managed to raise plenty of eyebrows with his recent comments about the subject of prize money in golf – specifically LIV Golf – but he managed to hit the nail on the head on a couple of current issues in the sport.
Smith usually doesn’t say too much, he’s quite an introverted character and a likeable individual who despite his now vast wealth just seemingly wants to get on with his golf and keep himself to himself.
But in just a few short comments to The Mirror he summed up perfectly why the huge prize money sums in LIV Golf were “obviously not working” and how the cash rewards would have to be reduced as the team-based tour seeks new financial backing.
The Australian also spoke about how prize money in the sport needed to be reduced across the board – again not an unreasonable suggestion – but one that attracted a few sharp responses. But why?
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Money in golf seems to be a thorny issue – let’s face it it’s the main driving factor in the sport yet most players don’t want to admit that.
And why shouldn’t it? Everyone who works for a living wants to be rewarded and yes, professional sportspeople want to chase titles and legacies but ultimately they also want to build their bank balances.
And when LIV Golf burst onto the scene the Saudi PIF unloaded billions to attract some of the sport’s biggest names – yes the ‘grow the game’ mantra was there and team golf was a factor, but if we’re all being honest those vast sums of cash were the deal breakers.
Smith himself admitted his signing fee of a reported $140m was too good to turn down – and he’s since pocketed a further $52m in prize money.
Smith now admits that the LIV money is “pretty far-fetched, realistically” and that it’s “obviously not working” in a clear sign that whatever form LIV Golf takes next year, Scott O’Neil will have to cut the financial rewards on offer.
“This has been an awesome four or five years for us golfers,” said Smith, but added “it’s time for everything to come back to the way it was.”
That’s a line picked out by many who haven’t been too enamoured by the way money has exploded in golf over the last few years.
Many golf fans don’t care about the…
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