LIV GOLF GREENBRIER

August 17, 2024

Cam Smith

The Old White

Ripper GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Cam Smith, the captain of Ripper GC. Cam, you shot 7-under today. You're currently sitting at 11-under, three off the lead, and Team Ripper is in first place. Tell us a little bit about your day.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, it was a good day. I got off to a pretty good start, and then just got kind of a little bit slow there at the end. I think probably the back nine is a harder nine out here, even though there are a couple of par-5s. There's a couple of kind of stinky tee shots and greens to hit into.

All in all, played pretty good. I wish I had have played that back nine a little bit better, though.

Q. Three shots off the lead at a course like this really isn't a massive lead. Gives you plenty of opportunity to catch up; would you agree?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, absolutely. There's plenty of birdie opportunities out there. The course has been kind of soft, receptive I would say all week. I don't think soft is the right word.

But yeah, if you're on the fairway, there's ample opportunity to make birdies and put yourself in there tight and give yourself plenty of looks. Yeah, there's no reason someone can't go out there tomorrow and shoot a really low one and come from behind.

Q. We're going back to a 1:15 shotgun tomorrow. Knowing how the course played on Friday versus today, is that going to change the way the course played tomorrow for you guys?

CAM SMITH: I don't know. I'll have to look at the forecast. I know there was some rain kind of in the mix at the start of the week. It's kind of weird with the rain around here. I think being in altitude, the rain kind of brings it back down to almost sea level, so your yardages, you're constantly thinking in your head, is it playing 5 percent less or is it playing normal.

Yeah, that'll definitely trick it up a little bit. I'm sure there's going to be some wind out there. The wind kind of swirls around here. It's a tricky little golf course, but it's very gettable.

Q. So the Rippers had an incredible season. You guys had back-to-back wins in Adelaide and Singapore. You guys are back on top. There's tons of red and gold. Your teammate Lucas Herbert is currently sitting in second place. You and Marc are both tied for sixth and Matt Jones is sitting at T13. How much would another Ripper win mean for you guys tomorrow?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I think it would be unreal. I think it would be kind of even better if we managed to get an individual win in there, as well.

The couple of wins at the start of the year were very nice, but it was kind of a bit of an odd feeling winning the team event and not having someone stand up there lifting the trophy. Hopefully one of us tomorrow can go shoot a low one, and the drinks will be on them.

Q. You guys have all been playing great golf this week, but with all four scores counting tomorrow, what are your thoughts going into tomorrow and you guys taking home that win?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I think we're all playing really solid golf, and this is a golf course that we all enjoy to play. There's lots of off-pace kind of wedges and shaping shots into greens, which is kind of similar to home. I think that's why we do like it.

It's going to be a hard one tomorrow with four scores counting. It seems like everyone is going to have to go low to kind of lift the trophy at the end of the day.

It's far from done yet.

Q. You've got Smash on your tail. They are just one shot behind. We were saying that we think tomorrow the winning score for the team could be like 50 under. Would that be the lowest --

CAM SMITH: We had 52, I think, 53.

Q. Maybe you could beat your own record tomorrow.

CAM SMITH: That would be nice. We actually halved with Stingers that week, so it's like our record. It would be nice to have it by ourselves.

Q. Have you ever won a tournament on your birthday?

CAM SMITH: No. I don't think I have.

Q. What would that celebration be like?

CAM SMITH: If I'm honest, I think there's going to be a couple of drinks tomorrow night either way, but it would definitely make them taste a little bit better.

Q. Did you wear the right shirt? Maybe that shirt could have been worn tomorrow.

CAM SMITH: No, we're going to wear the maroon tomorrow. I think that's been our Sunday color since the start. Although it would be very fitting tomorrow.

Q. You've won a tournament in each of the last four years, I think. Obviously looking for the first one this year. Are you surprised that it hasn't happened already for you this year? Do you feel like the form just hasn't been there? What's your thoughts there?

CAM SMITH: I wouldn't say I'm surprised. I feel like I've done enough work and I've played enough good golf to maybe get one. I lost in a playoff to Abe in Hong Kong and came close in Singapore, as well, and a couple weeks ago in the UK.

There's still plenty of positives there. But winning is a very hard thing. Sometimes things just don't go your way down the stretch or a putt misses here or there, and before you know it, you've lost the tournament by one shot, which is a weird way to think of it because you've had such a great week.

There's still been plenty of solid golf, and I've been patient in the past and kind of waited for my turn. But it's hard to be patient, especially at this time of the year. With the end of the year coming to the end in Australia, as well.

I've only got a few tournaments left, but yeah, we'll wait and see. Hopefully I can get it done tomorrow. If not, we'll have another shot in Chicago and then down in Australia.

I'm trying to stay positive.

Q. You seem very comfortable over the driver this week. Would that be correct?

CAM SMITH: Yeah. I think so. I think this is a golf course that really suits my eye off the tee. I feel really comfortable around here. There's a couple of shots where I don't feel very comfortable into the greens, but off the tee this week has been a bit of a different feeling. I think that's just due to how the course looks. I don't think it's a technical thing. I think I've kind of maybe sorted that out, although it's something that I need to keep an eye on.

Yeah, the driver is feeling really nice.

Q. Ripper is having themselves a really good week. Do you think that the caddie tournament and the fun you guys had helped you gel a little more? Also maybe you can tell us how you recovered from watching Sam hit that shank.

CAM SMITH: I think I'm obviously biased; I hang out with the boys a lot. But I think we've got the tightest knit group out here, with players, caddies. We've got a couple of physios and a few other guys that travel with the team. We're all happy to sit down with any one of them and have a beer and have a meal every night. That really brings, I think, not only team camaraderie but something else to -- it's like you're playing for genuinely something other than yourself, rather than just teeing it up for yourself.

I don't know how many other teams can really say that, without taking a jab at them. I feel like we've all got each other's back, and yeah, it's a pretty cool feeling to have that, especially in a sport that's basically individual. Yeah, so it's nice.

The second part of your question, which is a really fun one, I think the boys had had their limit by that point. Sam had actually played really well, and that was honestly probably one of his only shots. But it was on camera, so it was unlucky for Sam.

No, we had a lot of fun in that caddie tournament. I think we should do that more often. It was really cool.