Few pro golfers have fallen more over the past two years than LIV Golf pro Cameron Smith. But the 2022 Open champion, winless in the past two years, suddenly rediscovered the magic of his homeland.
On Friday at the 2025 Crown Australian Open, Smith did something he hadn’t done all season: He made the cut. But he did much more than that. With 36 holes left, Smith hopes to end his winless streak.
Cam Smith competes in Australian Open
2025 is shaping up to be a memorable season for Smith. Fresh off wins at The Players Championship and Open Championship just two years ago, he has one of the brightest futures in golf.
After leaving the PGA Tour for LIV, he quickly earned three LIV wins in 2022 and 2023. But since then, Smith has disappeared.
Smith’s best finish at the 2025 LIV was a tie for fifth. In seven starts outside LIV, including all four majors, he failed to advance. Just last week, after losing at the Australian PGA Championship, Smith said his questions were “on the back of my mind.”
As a result, his Official World Golf Ranking has dropped from No. 2 at the end of 2022 to the current No. 354.
But it was his home Open at the iconic Royal Melbourne Stadium that sparked his comeback.
Smith had four birdies in Thursday’s first round, but he had three bogeys to finish at one under and risk another cut to start the second round.
But on Friday, Smith dismissed concerns about extending his streak of absences. He had six birdies in the second round and shot a bogey-free 65.
Not only does that put him seven strokes ahead of the cutoff line, but it puts him within two strokes of the lead held by Rasmus Nergaard-Petersen and Daniel Rodriguez. While Smith has won the Australian PGA Championship three times, most recently in 2022, he has never won the Australian Open.
Australian major champion Adam Scott is tied with Smith at 7 under.
McIlroy advances after late appearance at Australian Open
Although Smith is Australia’s homegrown star, he isn’t the most visible figure in the field. That would be world No. 2 Rory McIlroy.
; "Struggling LIV star targets Australian Open lead; Rory McIlroy rally 1")
‘That’s my opinion’: Rory McIlroy drops buzz over iconic host course
Kevin Cunningham
McIlroy committed to this week’s Australian Open months ago as part of his plan to play in more historic Opens around the world.
Despite slighting hosts Royal Melbourne earlier in the week, McIlroy’s emergence has taken the tournament to new heights.
But with four holes left in Friday’s second round, McIlroy found himself on the wrong side of the cut line and staring at an early flight home.
A bogey on the par-5 14th left him tied for the round and one shot higher in the championship. McIlroy needs at least one birdie to qualify for the weekend.
Instead of one, he made three. The 2025 Masters champion birdied holes 15, 17 and 18 for a 68. That puts him at 2 under for the championship, two strokes above the cut line.
