The global world of professional golf is changing rapidly, and Australian golfer Cameron Smith thinks it's time for a big-money rethink for everyone involved. He says he doesn’t care if LIV Golf’s big prizes, totaling $30 million, shrink soon.

He revealed he's not bothered by the prospects of those smaller payouts in the near future. Speaking to Mirror Sports U.S. in Spain, Smith declared, "It's changed a lot of things, but I think realistically, it's time for everything to come back to the way it was."

"It was obviously not working, and it's pretty far-fetched, realistically," Smith stated regarding the current state of professional golf purses. "So we'll see what happens."

The 2022 Open Champion claimed that multi-million dollar purses across all global tours became unsustainable after the intense battle for talent skyrocketed player payouts everywhere.

Interestingly, Smith himself helped trigger this financial arms race by signing a reported $140 million contract when he jumped ship to the breakaway league back in August 2022.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund confirms it will halt its cash flow to LIV Golf after this season. With the fund pulling out, LIV folks have to find other sponsors.

Because of this, those crazy $20 million individual prizes and $10 million team rewards might become a thing of the past. They want a leaner setup that actually sticks around for the long haul and attracts corporate funding.

Pursuing a Parallel Rise in Alternative Golf Purses 

The bigger golf entertainment scene is seeing some major cash growth, showing that non-traditional golf content is drawing in big money from sponsors. 

The upcoming Barstool Sports Internet Invitational recently announced a staggering $4 million winner's purse for its highly anticipated 2026 amateur creator and influencer event.

This exceptional payout shows a huge jump of 300% more than their 2025 tournament, which is wild. It really highlights how much alternative golf media has blown up online.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, this prize for internet stars is now bigger than some official PGA Tour events.

With traditional pro tours facing possible cuts, YouTube creator showdowns keep drawing in younger viewers and scoring big deals with companies worldwide.

Back on the LIV series, the 32-year-old Aussie is focusing on teamwork to help the circuit handle looming institutional money troubles.

Smith said, "I feel as though we really have to lean into the team stuff," stressing the league must protect its unique, non-conventional identity.

The Ripper GC captain is feeling positive about his prospects heading into Valderrama this week. He made a key coaching swap to bring in the highly respected Claude Harmon III.

After a long slump lasting two years, Smith had a solid finish at the 2026 PGA Championship, tying for seventh place. He was just five shots behind the surprise winner, Aaron Rai, at Aronimink.

What do you think? Can Cam Smith bounce back at the Valderrama event? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Ankita Yadav