Cameron Smith’s latest stumble should have sparked debate, especially on home soil. Yet his disappointment slipped quietly past the spotlight. Another LIV player altered the weekend’s narrative, shifting attention away from Smith’s struggles and raising a different question entirely about who truly outperformed the established tour names.

The BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland on November 28, which should have been a homecoming moment for Cameron Smith, instead added another blemish to an already troubling record. On Friday, Smith fired a four-over 75 — his second-round collapse sealing his seventh straight missed cut. 

He began the day on the projected cut line at 2-under and looked capable early, even leaving himself two birdie attempts that lipped out. But after a bogey on the 11th, confidence slipped. Par putts slid by on the 13th and 14th, before an eight-footer birdie on 17 offered only a brief glimmer of hope.

A missed green and three-putt double bogey at 18 ended his round and weekend. Smith’s reaction post-round spoke volumes: “I don’t know, I just don’t know. I was so confused. I was feeling good, really confident, and just couldn’t get anything going,” he told Golf Digest.

“It was weird. Tough lies killed me today … couldn’t get up and down,” he added. Yet, his stumble didn’t stay in focus for long, because the weekend delivered a far more disruptive storyline lead by David Puig.

Puig’s Breakthrough Quickly Replaced the Narrative

While Smith exited early, fellow LIV golfer David Puig produced one of the standout performances of the event, outplaying established names like Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott to capture the Australian PGA Championship. His finish wasn’t just a win; it was a breakthrough many felt had been building.

“It feels amazing. Really had a lot of close calls in a few events throughout this year and last year, and wasn’t able to pull it through,” Puig said beside the 18th green after the winning putt. “You know, it feels unbelievable. Especially winning here in Australia. Awesome, awesome golf. So, I’m really excited and happy.”

Those words, delivered with genuine relief, instantly reframed the weekend’s narrative. Instead of dissecting Smith’s missed cut, attention shifted to Puig’s rise and what it meant for a LIV player to outperform some of Australia’s most recognized pros on home turf.

In the end, Smith’s struggles didn’t define the week. Puig’s triumph did, and it ensured the conversation moved forward without dwelling on yet another setback for Australia’s biggest LIV star.

Written by

Dolly Bhamrick

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi