Defending champion Cameron Smith misses Australian PGA Championship cut by nine shots

Defending champion Cameron Smith had an emotional and disappointing performance at the Australian PGA Championship, missing the cut by nine shots and expressing deep disappointment and frustration with his game, putting his chances of making the Paris Olympics in doubt.

At Glance

‣ Defending champion Cameron Smith misses the cut at the Australian PGA Championship by nine shots
‣ Smith calls his performance “unacceptable” and expresses disappointment
‣ Smith’s poor performance puts his chances of making the Paris Olympics in doubt
‣ Min Woo Lee leads the tournament by one shot from Adam Scott

.@Minwoo27Lee will take a 1 shot lead heading into the weekend 👀#AusPGA

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour)

Defending champion Cameron Smith experienced a tough day on the course, missing the cut at the Australian PGA Championship by nine shots. Smith, who won the tournament last year, voiced his frustration after his disappointing performance, calling it “unacceptable.” In an emotional post-round interview, he expressed his disappointment, saying, “Australia has been so good to me, there’s no reason to perform like that. Unacceptable.” Smith, who also won the Australian PGA in 2017 and 2018, acknowledged that his performance was one of the worst days in his professional golf career.

As a result of his subpar showing, Smith’s chances of making the Paris Olympics next year are now in doubt. His limited opportunities to earn ranking points through LIV Golf may impact his ability to qualify for the Australian Olympic team. He is now looking to the next tournament, the Australian Open in Sydney, with the hope of putting on a better display. “I hope I can get it together for next week and put on a better show than that,” Smith expressed as he left the tournament disappointed.

Smith’s struggles on the course were evident as he finished with a score of nine over, well outside the cut line. Playing alongside Min Woo Lee, who shot a stellar 66 to lead the tournament, would have added to the difficulty of Smith’s round. Despite his disappointing performance, fellow golfer Lee had encouraging words for Smith, expressing confidence that he will bounce back in the next tournament.

Adam Scott, another competitor in the tournament, managed to put together a strong round, finishing just one stroke behind Lee. Scott’s impressive performance and positive outlook on his game reflect the resilience required in the sport of golf. “It’s always nice to have a bogey-free round, I probably haven’t had many of them this year,” Scott remarked, highlighting the satisfaction of his improved play. With his improved game, Scott is poised to continue his strong showing in the tournament.