LIV star banned from Players despite winning event | Golf News

Cameron Smith is ineligible to compete in this yr’s Players Championship, despite having claimed victory at the distinguished event just 4 years in the past.

The 2022 Players Championship acquired off to an uncommon start when in a single day rain delayed the opening spherical by an hour, with only 66 of the 144 gamers managing to full their first spherical. Further climate disruptions the next day compelled another delay, leaving 47 gamers to end their opening 18 holes on Saturday, a full 54 hours after their initial tee-off. It comes after ESPN viewers fumed as tech issues plagued The Players Championship.

When the mud finally settled on the opening spherical, Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge shared the lead at six-under-par, with Smith trailing three strokes behind after posting a 69.

The second spherical noticed Smith card a one-under 71, that includes 5 bogeys and six birdies, leaving the Australian three pictures adrift of co-leaders Hoge and Sam Burns heading into the weekend.

Smith’s third spherical proved more constant with another three-under 69, though India’s Anirban Lahiri stole the highlight, firing a five-under 67 to seize the top spot on the leaderboard heading into the ultimate spherical. Entering Sunday’s ultimate spherical two strokes off the tempo, Smith burst out of the blocks with 5 birdies in his opening six holes to surge into the outright lead.

However, the match was far from settled. Smith’s early birdie blitz was adopted by three consecutive bogeys, before benefitting from Lahiri’s double bogey on the par-three eighth to pull stage at the top of the leaderboard heading into the back 9.

Remarkably, Smith then reeled off another 4 consecutive birdies to transfer two clear of Lahiri forward of the enduring par-three seventeenth.

Facing the prospect of discovering the water with his tee shot and squandering his benefit, Smith stored his composure and landed his shot 4 ft from the pin on the island inexperienced, which he transformed for a birdie.

He did discover the water on the 18th, but managed to save bogey after a penalty drop to edge out Lahiri by a single shot and declare the $2.5 million top prize. The win represented Smith’s second victory of the season and fifth of his skilled profession.

Later that yr, Smith claimed his first major title at The Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he famously overturned a four-stroke deficit in the ultimate spherical to snatch the Claret Jug from Rory McIlroy.

Just over a month later on Aug. 30, 2022, he announced his transfer to LIV Golf and has not competed in a PGA Tour event since.