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Cameron Smith joins LIV Golf, contract, salary, when will he join, latest, updates

Cameron Smith is set to become the latest golf star to default to LIV Golf in a mega-money deal.

Just a day after Australian golfer Cameron Percy let slip that Smith and fellow Aussie Marc Leishman were set to join the breakaway tour, The Telegrpah reported Smith has inked a $AUD140 million deal.

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Smith’s first tournament with the rebel tour is set to be the LIV’s International in Boston which begins September 2.

Despite the report, Smith did not elaborate in his press conference ahead of the FedEx Cup play-offs.

“You know, my goal here is to win the FedExCup Playoffs,” Smith said.

“That’s all I’m here for. If there’s something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV, it’ll come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy.

“I’m a man of my word and whenever you guys need to know anything, it’ll be said by me.”

Cameron Smith has reportedly signed on with the LIV tour.
Cameron Smith has reportedly signed on with the LIV tour.Source: Getty Images

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However, Smith confirmed he “absolutely” had plans to play in the President’s Cup even though the report claims he’d be with LIV Golf at the time.

After further LIV-related questions, Smith thanked the reporters and walked out of the press conference.

To date, LIV Golf has signed golf stars like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, but Smith’s arrival brings more credibility to the competition given he is World Number Two and recently won The Open.

The Australian star declined to comment after winning the Claret Jug but refused to deny it and sent the rumor mill into overdrive.

“I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that’s pretty- not that good,” Smith said.

Pressed on the matter, the Australian was coy.

“I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff, I’m here to win golf tournaments,” he said.

The Telegraph goes on to state that LIV CEO Greg Norman struck a deal prior to Smith’s famous Open triumph and that an official announcement confirming the latter’s move is not expected until the FedEx Cup play-off series is complete.

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Cameron Smith LIV golf, Hannah Green to play

The Australian Open has added some extra star-power for its return edition this summer with major winner Hannah Green committing to play.

Green, fresh from contending at this month’s Women’s Open, was unveiled in Melbourne on Monday as the event’s latest coup.

The 25-year-old is one of only four Australian women to have won a major, after claiming the 2019 PGA Championship, and returns home after a strong year, albeit with the disappointment of a weekend fadeout at the Women’s Open.

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Green has six top-10 finishes this year, including a top-five at the women’s PGA Championship, while she was also on track for a strong result in at Muirfield until she was derailed by a seven-over final two rounds.

With the major final of the season in the books, the Australian is looking to the months ahead, which will include returning home for a historic edition of the Australian Open.

Green is fresh from contending deep at this month's Women's Open.
Green is fresh from contending deep at this month’s Women’s Open.Source: Getty Images

Having not been held in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the showpiece event returns with the men, women, and all-abilities tournaments being held concurrently.

It is the first national Open worldwide to combine men’s and women’s fields, while the prize money for the two events is the same; $1.7 million AUD each.

“When I heard that the men’s and women’s Opens were coming together for the first time, I knew that I wanted to be there,” said Green, who won the mixed gender TPS Murray River, and the Vic Open, on her last visit.

“We’ve experienced this kind of concept with men and women playing together on the same courses at the same time … and to have it in place for the first time at a national Open is going to be something special.”

High profile Australians committing to return for the summer are increasing by the week after Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee recently confirmed they would also be playing.

World No.49 Herbert is down to play both the Australian Open, held at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath on December 1-4, and the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland the week prior.

Lee – now ranked 66th in the world and with top-30 finishes at three of this year’s majors – will play at the latter, which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.

Meanwhile, Aussie golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return, having not played competitively in his home country since December 2019.

Aussie golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return.Source: Getty Images

Smith confirmed last month that he will have an extended stay in Australia this summer to spend time with his family and friends after three years of separation.

But whether that stay will include playing at either the Australian Open, or the Australian PGA Championship – he’s previously won the latter twice – is unclear.

Also unclear is his next career moves after the FedEx Cup playoffs, having been linked to Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed LIV Golf series — claims that he hasn’t denied.

smith told Fox Sports after winning the Claret Jug that his plan is to play in both Australian events, but it is not his priority.

“I think my priority during those weeks is going to be to catch up with family and friends. I’ll probably stay a little bit after into Christmas and just really have a good time,” he told Fox Sports.

“I’m looking forward to that. You really have no idea. It’s been three years since I’ve been at home and just to see some familiar faces will be so nice.”

Meanwhile, another big-name Aussie, Marc Leishman, confirmed to foxsports.com.au last month that he was also eager to return to these shores, although no deal has been confirmed.

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Tiger Woods offer, Greg Norman, PGA Tour, reaction, latest news

LIV Golf offered a figure between $700 million-$800 million ($A997m-$1.1bn) to Tiger Woods in an attempt to lure the 15-time major winner away from the PGA Tour, according to LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.

“The number has been out there, yes,” Norman said on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Monday night.

“Tiger is a needle move. So of course you got to look at the best of the best. They originally approached Tiger before I became CEO, so yes, that number is somewhere in that neighborhood.”

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The Saudi Arabia-backed golf league has grown notorious for offering audacious sums of money to pry golfers from the PGA Tour, with Woods’ offer being the most-lucrative total known to date. Norman had previously hinted at the offer, noting that the money was ‘mind-blowingly enormous.’

Few professional golfers have been more critical of LIV Golf than Woods. In July, ahead of the British Open, Woods supported the R&A’s decision to disinvite Norman from its Celebration of Champions exhibition, while also lashing out against the golfers who failed to join the LIV ranks.

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“The players who have chosen to go to LIV and to play there, I disagree with it,” Woods said.

“I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.”

The separate factions have even disintegrated relationships between Woods and other golfers.

Monday, Bryson DeChambeau — who reportedly received more than $US125 million to join LIV Golf — revealed that he has not spoken with Woods since his defection.

LIV Golf just completed its third tournament this past weekend at Trump Bedminster that was one by Henrik Stenson.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post.

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Tennis: Alex de Minaur collected his sixth ATP title by winning the Atlanta Open

Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur is on the verge of re-entering the top 20, only four weeks out from the US Open after winning the Atlanta Open for the second time.

The 23-year-old powered to his sixth career ATP title – all at 250 level – and first for 2022, with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of American Jenson Brooksby in 91 minutes.

de Minaur’s victory preceded Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios claiming the Atlanta doubles final 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 over countrymen Jason Kubler and John Peers.

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have now won 14 of 16 matches together this season, including reaching the Miami Masters semi-finals as well as their maiden grand slam title.

de Minaur’s victory was his second title in Atlanta having also won the singles title in 2019, beating another American, Taylor Fritz, before going on to make the last 16 at that year’s US Open, which begins at the end of August.

The tournament wasn’t held the following season because of the Covid-19 pandemic, while Minaur skipped last year’s edition while recovering from the virus.

Fellow Australian and close friend Matt Reid stepped in to coach him for the week, with his usual mentor, Adolfo Gutierrez, to link up with him at this week’s ATP 500 event at Washington.

Australian Davis Cup assistant coach Jaymon Crabb also supported him in Atlanta.

“My coach (Gutierrez) is currently traveling to Washington. He’s on the plane and hasn’t been able to watch the final, so hopefully when he lands he’ll get a nice, little notification on his phone,” de Minaur said.

“I’ve got Matt Reid over there, who’s helped me out this week. He’s made time out of his very busy schedule to come out here and help me out and we’re undefeated as a team, so thank you very much.

“Jaymon Crabb’s here on Davis Cup business but he’s (also) put in a lot of hours in the hot, hot Atlanta summer.”

Third-seeded de Minaur proved far too strong for Brooksby in their first meeting, breaking the world No.43 four times while dropping serve himself just once.

The match turned in the Australian star’s favor in the sixth game of the opening set when he snatched a 4-2 lead, after staving off a pair of break points three games earlier.

That was enough for de Minaur, who came from a set down in the previous two rounds, to take a one-set lead before the rivals traded breaks to start the second set.

Neither player faced another break point until the seventh game, when de Minaur wore down Brooksby with some extended rallies before the American dumped consecutive tired forehands into the net to concede serve.

The result will see the Australian rise from his current ranking of 30 to 21 – and within sight of his career-high ranking of 15.

de Minaur reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year but will try to at least match his career-best quarter-final run at the 2020 US Open when he competes in New York.

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis smashed 15 aces past Kubler and Peers and converted the only break of the match in the final game to seal a tight straight-sets victory.

It was an unlikely turn of events for Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, who withdrew before his first-round singles clash in Atlanta with a left knee soreness but continued in the doubles.

Read related topics:Nick Kyrgios

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