Will Tommy Fleetwood be part of the LIV landslide?
With his name freshly engraved on the Claret Jug, Cameron Smith was forced to answer questions on whether he is on the verge of becoming part of the latest wave of PGA Tour golfers to defect to the renegade LIV Golf League in the name of plenty of cold, hard cash.
"I just won the British Open, and you are asking about that?, the 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year bristled during the post tournament presser. The Australian carded six birdies on the back nine at St. Andrew's to steal the thunder from Rory McIlroy, the crowd favorite and PGA poster model who seemed destined to secure his elusive Open Championship. The No. 6 ranked golfer in the world, Smith is not alone in the LIV speculation. Tommy Fleetwood has been reported to be taking his own mullet to the controversial Saudi-run circuit. The Englishman also finished strong at the Open with a top-five at 14 under par, six strokes behind Smith.
Another candidate is 2021 Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama, who is already by some to being a done deal. Matsuyama's signing would be lucrative for the Japanese market and LIV's hopes of securing worldwide television contracts.
Would-be 2023 Ryder Cup Captain Henrik Stenson is also reported to join LIV in the coming days, Luke Donald would take his place to lead the European squad. 12th ranked Jordan Speith, No. 8 Colin Morikawa and No. 7 Justin Thomas have tried to shut down speculation in regards to LIV in the past few weeks.
Cameron Smith would be LIV Golf's biggest recruit yet.
Former NBA player and television pundit Charles Barkley has expressed his interest about a high-profile media role. Barkley has not been shy expressing his opinion on supporting golfers who choose LIV for nine-figure contracts.
The PGA Tour has buckled in recent weeks, increasing purses for 2023 events. Nonetheless, LIV appears not to be going away anytime in the near future.