Cam Smith adds new dimension to Queensland PGA Championship
Cam Smith in action during practice this week – image Australian Golf Media
This week’s Queensland PGA Championship at the Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs promises to provide the Australian golfing public with a taste of what is to come over the next four weeks or so on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s schedule.
Arguably Australia’s number one golfer, Cameron Smith, gets to display his wares to a local audience, having been raised in Brisbane before his incredible and rapid rise to golfing fame has him now as a resident of Florida.
Smith plays his first PGA Tour of Australasia event since the Australian Open eleven months ago and his first event in Australia since the LIV event in Adelaide in April but he brings a level of attention to this particular event not seen in several years.
Smith will also play next week’s NSW Open followed by the Australian PGA Championship again in Brisbane and the Australian Open in Melbourne and so the 27 year old will get the opportunity to play an extended period of time in front of home fans and hopefully much of that in contention.
In two week’s time Smith will look to join an exclusive club of Australian golfers to have won the Australian PGA Championship on four occasions having previously won twice at RACV Royal Pines and once at Royal Queensland and the next two weeks provide a great opportunity for him to have his game peaking for Australian golf’s flagship events.
Only Norman Von Nida, Kel Nagle and Billy Dunk have won four or more Australian PGA Championships and while this week’s event is no doubt important for Smith to perform well in he is no doubt keen to have his game at its best later in November.
Smith stands out by some margin as the most credentialed player in the field but as has been the case over the last few weeks on the PGA Tour of Australasian schedule, the involvement of many of Australia’s next wave of potentially successful professionals will provide a glimpse of the future in Australian men’s golf.
Smith will also have a stand-in caddy this week as his long time coach Grant Field takes on bag duties.
Recent winners, Jack Buchanan, Elvis Smylie and defending champion, Phoenix Campbell, who only turned professional recently along with Quinton Croker and Jasper Stubbs will provide plenty of strong opposition for Smith.
Professional golf is certainly not an exact science and there is no such thing as a certainty, so even allowing for Smith’s tremendous pedigree there are plenty of young emerging professionals who will fancy their chances against one of the game’s best.
Fairways being accessible to the public this week presents a great opportunity for galleries to get up close and personal with the play throughout the week and to witness at close quarters what might well turn out a David and Goliath battle at the Queensland PGA Championship.
Nudgee Golf Club’s final hole – image Bruce Young
