LIV GOLF ADELAIDE

April 21, 2023

Cam Smith

Marc Leishman

Jed Morgan

The Grange

Ripper GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome Ripper GC, minus Matt Jones because he's in the broadcast booth, but we're joined by Jed Morgan, Captain Cam Smith and Marc Leishman. Tell us a little bit about your first round in Australia and what the crowds were like out there for you today.

JED MORGAN: That was sick. No other words for it. The support was unreal. To play golf in front of a crowd like that is something I've never done, and these boys, like something as loud as that just for us, it was just sick.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, that first fairway looked pretty narrow this morning. It seemed like everyone was on the edge of the fairway. Yeah, it was a pretty epic day. I can't speak for these boys, but yeah, it was incredible every hole, the support, the support going on to the tee, off the green.

To be honest, it was pretty tiring, but no, it was a really good day. I'm looking forward to doing it again over the weekend.

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I mean, unbelievable. Probably as energetic a crowd as I've ever played in front of. That rivals being in contention at a major for sure. Obviously we're the home team, but all the yelling out at us and the support and the Leishman Lagers in the hand all around the course, yeah, it was ridiculous actually. It was really cool. Cool to be a part of.

Q. On TV I could see the sea of Ripper hats out there. Did you notice everyone in the Ripper merch?

JED MORGAN: Yeah, it was pretty hard not to notice it. It was sick.

Q. How many of these did you see out there?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I saw a lot of mullet shirts today. That was good fun. I got like a "Cameron" on the 12th hole, the boys -- like Happy, Happy Gilmore. So that was also pretty funny. Yeah, lots of Ripper hats out there. It was really good to see.

Q. Tell us about your experience at the Watering Hole. Was it just next level?

JED MORGAN: I mean, yeah, that was next level, as well. This tops pretty much any day I think we've had on a golf course. I can't speak for these boys, but for myself, it would have been nice if the hole was a bit shorter, but no, it was good. You can't feel your hands, and it's just like -- it's what you live for, that stuff.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, that was pretty cool. FISHER came out and did a shoey. Everyone was going nuts, so that was pretty funny. I probably hit the worst shot of the day there, but everyone still clapped.

MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it was amazing. To have what would normally be a pretty benign hole, I would say, like if there was no stands around and the wind like today, you'd probably just hit an 8-iron to 20 feet and walk off with an easy 3. But that made a fairly simple shot very difficult, and it was fun. Just to see the crowd, everyone was happy. There was no one that wasn't happy out there today, and that was really cool to see.

Q. Are you guys all going to go watch FISHER tonight?

CAM SMITH: Yeah.

JED MORGAN: Definitely.

Q. Cam, taking all of that buoyancy and everything today, and you come up 18 and you hit it close and you take your hat off and still give it to the crowd, but the day didn't quite go your way. Were you still able to enjoy it just by not playing as well as you would have wanted to, and did all the crowd, did that have an impact on the way you played?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, it was still -- for me, golf is golf. As soon as I'm over the ball, I've got the glove on, I'm really trying to do my own stuff. It's easy to get absorbed in that stuff, but I think I did a pretty good job of really knuckling down and trying to hit the right shot.

I think from a playing standpoint, I think had two or three lip-outs there on the back nine, so it could have easily been another two or three shots. I still feel like I'm really in the tournament, although I think Goochy went out there and shot 10-under.

Yeah, it's just a couple of nice days. I feel like I got a lot of momentum off the backer today; just need those putts to roll in.

Q. Do you ride that crowd expectation, as well, because it's probably going to be the same tomorrow because it's going to be a different bunch of blokes for the first time as well. Do you ride that?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I think it'll be much of the same from the crowd again tomorrow. Yeah, like I said, it's really enjoyable, but at the same time it's quite tiring, so you've just got to really focus on what you're trying to do. Golf is the main priority out here.

Q. Marc, my question is do you think you'll make more this week off LIV or your beer sales?

MARC LEISHMAN: Hopefully the beer sales. I was taking to the boys about that before, actually. Looks like we're going to sell a fair few. Hopefully we don't run out. It's a lot of beer out there. It's great. Hopefully on the course I would like to good couple of rounds to finish off the week.

Q. If I drink enough of these, can I have some equity in the company?

MARC LEISHMAN: You can get anything for a price, Mate.

Q. I was wondering, with the smell of fresh cut mullets, meat pies and alcoholism, do you think that made you guys play better golf today?

JED MORGAN: What accent is that?

Q. Apparently it's not Australian.

JED MORGAN: No, you did all right. What was the question?

Q. Did the smell of meat pies, fresh-cut mullets and alcoholism helped you play better golf here today?

JED MORGAN: I mean, I don't know if it did. I didn't play that great myself, unfortunately, but it definitely helped us get through the day. It was nice.

Q. How about these blokes?

MARC LEISHMAN: I can't get past the fact that you sound like Eric Bana when he was Poida. Yeah, it definitely did.

To have that many people that have got your back that are really going for you, it's pretty cool. Yeah, not that you don't try other weeks. Of course you try, but it makes you want it that little bit more, I think. I don't know if that was a good or a bad thing. Hopefully it'll be a good thing the next couple of days.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I don't know if the smell was really what I was after, but the energy was really high out there. Like Leish said, it's nice to have a lot of people that are kind of riding you, but it's also pretty stressful. You want to hit a good shot all the time. It's not -- I guess it's not kind of as free flowing as what it typically is, but yeah, it was a pretty epic day.

Q. Do events like this in your hometown make you feel justified in the decision to come to LIV and bring top-quality golf? The reception for Cam on 18 especially, but sitting there and watching guys like Phil and DJ across the afternoon, do you think that sort of vindicates bringing the top quality golf down here that LIV as done, as well?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I think for me it was justified before this week, but I think it's a massive boost. I think it gives the Tour a lot of confidence and a little momentum, as well. For Aussies, I think this is the benchmark for not only, I guess, Australian LIV Golf, but kind of world LIV Golf. This is probably the best atmosphere, infrastructure, crowds that we've had. It's pretty cool to call that our own basically.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys. Good luck tomorrow.