Smith’s homecoming on course to put Australia’s summer of golf back in spotlight

Australian golf will emerge from the fog of its COVID summers with the biggest homecoming since Adam Scott’s Green Jacket tour of 2013 if Cameron Smith returns to play the two major domestic events later this year.

After a blistering win at the British Open at St Andrews, hopes remain high that the Queenslander will headline the home swing, as it hops from Brisbane to Melbourne, and give the sport a much-needed profile boost.

Community golf flourished during COVID, with participation numbers strong as people tried to stay active and get outdoors while other sports were shut down.

But at the top level, a lack of international players and elite Australians returning home meant a flurry of events were cancelled or featured thinner-than-usual fields. That looks set to change this summer, with Smith the cherry on top if, as expected, he tees it up in front of his home fans.

Elite golf in Australia, which will be conspicuously absent in Sydney, begins with the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in Brisbane from November 24-27 followed by the Australian Open at the Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club from December 1-4.

Smith has been a strong supporter of his home tour and is a former winner of both events. He made his Australasian breakthrough at the Australian Open in 2016, then won the PGA on the Gold Coast in 2017.

Now he is a major winner, and will have the Claret Jug in tow when he returns home. That makes Smith a marketing dream for Australia’s golf officials, who will make him the centrepiece of promotional activities.

He will also be the hot favourite for the Greg Norman Medal, which is awarded to the best female or male player on the world stage. But given Norman’s highly contentious role in the rival LIV Golf series, what Australian officials do with the medal named in his honour remains to be seen.

Scott, who broke Australia’s Masters drought at Augusta in 2013, gave the sport a huge shot in the arm when he returned home with the Green Jacket. Lines of fans hundreds of metres long waited to see him in his livery, and he brought his winning form, too.

Scott won the PGA Championship in Queensland, then made it a double with victory in the Australian Masters at Royal Melbourne. He later finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy at the Australian Open in Sydney.

A Smith-Scott double would be a dream scenario for promoters as golf finally returns to the spotlight in Australia. With his flowing mullet, abundant talent and fresh silverware, Smith would be the star attraction alongside a player he considers a mentor and friend.

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