LIV Golf's Cameron Smith admits 'mental issue' behind his major slump this season

LIV Golf star Cameron Smith recently expressed disappointment over his poor run at the majors this season. However, he felt it was more of a mental issue than a technical one that led to his struggles.

Smith is in England this week for LIV Golf UK, which tees off on Friday, July 25, at JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester. This is the first LIV event after the Open Championship, where the Australian golfer missed the cut. Notably, it marked his fourth consecutive missed cut at the majors.

On Thursday, July 24, Cameron Smith opened up about his recent struggles at the majors.

"Yes, it sucks to play bad in tournaments that probably mean a little bit more than others,” he told Australian Golf Digest. "I think it’s probably more of a mental issue than actual technique. But yeah, the major results weren’t good"

Interestingly, the 2022 Open Championship winner hasn’t performed this poorly in LIV Golf. While he hasn’t won a title since LIV Golf Bedminster, he has recorded four top-10 finishes this season.

Cameron Smith added that he was motivated to get results and that pressure was one of the reasons behind his struggles at the big events.

"I feel like I’ve done everything right, and not really got much out of it," he added. "My swing feels the best it’s ever felt and to go out there and perform like that isn’t something I want to do, and it’s something that I shouldn’t do."

"The motivation is at an all time high to get back to where I was, and even better than that. So a bit of a change in attitude and I’ve been really focusing on the mental side. The last six weeks has been pretty good, and it definitely feels like I’m turning a corner."

When will Cameron Smith tee off at the LIV Golf UK, Round 1?

Cameron Smith is paired alongside David Puig and Phil Mickelson for the first round of LIV Golf UK. The trio will begin on Friday from the third hole at 1:05 p.m. BST in a shotgun start.

The 31-year-old Australian star is currently placed 16th in the season-long standings with four top-10 finishes. He has collected just 54 points and trails far behind the leaders. Joaquin Niemann tops the standings with a whopping 166 points. The Chilean golfer has claimed four titles on the Saudi-backed circuit. Notably, he has also recorded the most wins by any player in a single season.

Jon Rahm, who has finished in the top 10 in nine of the ten events, has accumulated 154 points. Bryson DeChambeau sits third with one win and one runner-up finish.

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Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

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Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti