Cam Smith was the first to admit it: 2025 wasn’t his year.
Look no further than his big record: MC, MC, MC, MC. Smith even entered this year’s Australian Open without scoring once in seven attempts. He spoke at length after last week’s Australian PGA about feeling lost and confused.
But Royal Melbourne has brought out the best in him.
All week we’ve heard professionals rave about the host course, which is considered one of the best in the world. But if you haven’t visited a course in person, it’s always interesting to try to find out what the TV, the comments and the expert reviews tell us: what makes a great golf course so great?
I found Smith’s answer particularly illuminating.
Smith beamed after a second-round 65 put him within shouting distance of the lead.
“I don’t think I’ve shaped the ball like that in a long time,” Smith said. “I think I need a good golf course to be able to commit to that. You get to some boring courses and it’s just kind of a target golf and it’s certainly not like that here. I think you have to take a few shots upwind and fly it upwind to get close to pins [on others]You have to be creative, you have to hit shots and I was able to do that, especially with the irons.”
What’s fascinating about that answer is the implication that a good golf course can produce good golf. Smith’s alternative – boring golf courses – produces less memorable golf shots. For a creative type like Smith, his best chance to compete is when everyone has to play off schedule.
Smith further explained his change in mindset; he said that instead of being stuck on his figurative back foot, he tried to stay on the front foot.
Smith backed that round up with a third-round 66 and is tied for second heading into Sunday’s final round. After the third round he was again delighted with Royal Melbourne.
“You just have to hit the right shots. It’s such a cool golf course,” he said. “There are so many ways to get close to pins on so many holes, you can really be as creative as you want, or go straight to the middle of the green all day long; it’s such a cool place.”
That’s my experience watching on television; the Australian Open was a great evening option for everyone on Pacific Time. Two factors – the appearance of Rory McIlroy and Royal Melbourne as host course – have increased the attention and drama surrounding the event. The Aussie stars have taken over things there; Smith, Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee all enter the final round in the top six. (McIlroy is just left out of the discussion.)
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