Cameron Smith withdraws from BMW Championship over ‘hip discomfort’

Cameron Smith has withdrawn from the BMW Championship beginning this week over a nagging “hip discomfort” that he’s been experiencing for several months, his agent confirmed Monday. 

The six-time PGA Tour winner made the decision with hopes of still achieving his goal of winning the FedEx Cup playoffs, Bud Martin said in a statement, provided by the Tour. 

“Unfortunately, Cam will be unable to compete in the BMW Championship this week in Wilmington DE. He has been dealing with some on and off hip discomfort for several months and thought it would be best to rest this week in his pursuit of the FedEx Cup.” 

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Smith finished the St. Jude Championship this weekend tied for 13th. He shot 70 in the final round after being given a two-shot penalty when rules officials realized upon review that when Smith took a penalty drop in the third round, the ball was still touching the red hazard line.

Smith declined interviews after the tournament, but leading up to it, and amid rumors of joining LIV Golf, the 2022 British Open champion made his intentions clear. 

“I’m here to play the FedEx Cup playoffs,” he told reporters during a press conference. “That’s been my focus for the last week and a half. That’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to win the FedEx Cup playoffs.”

Reports surfaced last week that Smith — who with the No. 2 ranking would be the highest-ranked player to join the league — signed a $100 million deal and would be competing in the circuit’s fourth tournament in Boston next month. 

In the same presser, Smith said he was “looking forward” to competing at the President’s Cup in late September, but doing so would mean he would not be competing at the LIV Golf series in Boston over Labor Day weekend. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.