Open champion and world No. 2 Cameron Smith joins LIV Golf, becomes highest-ranked PGA player to do so

Open champion and current world No. 2 Cameron Smith has joined LIV Golf along with fellow Australian Marc Leishman.

He is the highest-ranked PGA player to walk away from the tour and join the new breakaway series.

Several major champions and former world number ones are already part of LIV Golf including Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood.

Australian golfer Cameron Percy claimed Smith and Leishman were going to join LIV Golf in early August, leading this year’s Open champion to hit back last Thursday ahead of the first FedEx Cup play-off at the St Jude International.

“If there’s something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV it will come from Cameron Smith not Cameron Percy,” Smith said.

“I’m a man of my word and whenever you guys [the press] need to know anything it will be said by me.”

The next event on the LIV tour is in Boston at The International Golf Club where $35m (£30m) is up for grabs, with other new faces – Leishman, Harold Varner, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Tringale and Anirban Lahiri – all set to feature.

“Cam and I get on really well and we always have,” McIlroy said.

“Again, no matter what decisions are made or what choices are made by anyone, it doesn’t make them a bad person. Does it make me disagree with them? Of course it does. But I disagree with a lot of people that I like and love.

“If anything, he’s a really good guy to play with because he plays pretty quick, and he has a nice rhythm. So it’s a nice pairing.”

“If you believe in something I think you have to speak up, and I believe very strongly about this. I really do,” said McIlroy.

“I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf. It’s going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn’t sit right with me.

“I believe what I‘m saying are the right things, and I think when you believe that what you’re saying is the right things, you’re happy to stick your neck out on the line.”