At the end of August, LIV Golf added six marquee golfers to its circuit, including Cameron Smith, The 2022 Open champion. Smith made his LIV debut last week in Chicago, and the pre-tournament betting favorite delivered on his hype, winning the event by three shots over Dustin Johnson and Peter Uihlein.'
Yet the event felt largely irrelevant. Perhaps that's due to mere thousands of people watching on YouTube — LIV has yet to secure a TV deal — or the fact that a fall golf event has to compete with football viewers. It could also be due to LIV's uncertain place in the golf landscape, which stems in large part from the league's controversial ties to Saudi Arabia.'
Even though Smith's win lacked hype, it didn't go completely unnoticed. ESPN and CBS were among the national media outlets to cover Smith's victory. And it's impossible to discredit Smith's ability, as he clearly looks like one of the best players on the planet.'
Cam Smith has won the following prize money this year in first place finishes alone …