OPEN WINNER Cameron Smith has become the latest golfer to join the new Saudi-funded LIV Golf format.
The Australian follows the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson in making the big swap to the Saudi-backed events
Smith has also joined the likes of Joaquin Niemann, Harold Varner III, Cameron Tringale, Marc Leishman and Anirban Lahiri as the latest defectors from the PGA Tour.
Smith and the names mentioned will make his debut at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston this week.
Reports appeared last week that Smith was going to join the highly criticised golf league. He did not comment on the rumours, but now it has been confirmed that the 29-year-old will infact make the move.
Reports have also emerged that Smith will pocket $100million (€99.9m) for making the swap to LIV.
Fans on social media have poked fun at Smith's decision to move to LIV
One user said: " Only Tiger and Rory will be playing for PGA at this rate"
While another said: Whatever happens with golf in the future I will always want Rory Mcllroy to win everything!
Cameron Smith has joined LIV Golf 💰#BBCGolf pic.twitter.com/aAF3T40EQe
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 30, 2022
Last week FedEx Cup champion Rory Mcllroy said that watching players defect to the new format is 'a hard one for him to stomach'
"It's a hard one for me to stomach the fact that I go over to play an event and 18 of those guys are going to be playing in the same field," McIlroy said.
"I don't like that, that's not something that I really want to be any part of, but for me, just as committed as I am to the PGA Tour, I want to make that commitment to the DP World Tour as well."
The Holywood native also spoke to the Open winner about making an informed decision before the alleged switch
Smith has now made that alleged swap a reality
"I had a conversation with Cameron Smith two days after the Open, and firstly, I wanted to congratulate him, but also I wanted -- guys that are thinking one way or another, honestly I don't care if they leave or not. It's not going to make a difference to me," Mcllroy added at the time
"But I would at least like people to make a decision that is completely informed and basically know this is what's coming down the pipeline. This is what you may be leaving behind."
I just don't want people making decisions -- hearing information from one side and not from another. So, I think that's sort of been my whole thing this entire time. I've always said guys can do whatever they want. Guys can make a decision that they feel is best for themselves and their families. But I want guys to make decisions based on all of the facts.
"Sometimes I don't think some guys made those decisions based on having all the facts in front of them."
