A candid Cameron Smith insists he has never worked harder on his game leading into a home summer, having shaken off a mid-year bout of "laziness" as he prepares to shoulder locals hopes in the Australian Open.
The world No.33 jetted into the country on Saturday morning with the intention of heading straight to his home club at Wantima in Brisbane, enjoying a rare afternoon of down time before a frenetic three-week stretch in Australia.
Working hard: Cameron Smith is looking for consistency after a year of highs and lows.Credit:AP
Smith's Stonehaven Cup assault will come as homegrown stars Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Adam Scott either stay in the US or preserve themselves for the World Cup of Golf and Australian PGA later this month.
And the 25-year-old, who scooped his first major professional win on home soil in the Australian PGA last year, is desperate to add the national championship to his mantelpiece after losing a three-way play-off to Jordan Spieth two years ago.
He also waged a late charge at last year's title before finishing fourth behind shock winner Cameron Davis.
"That’s the one I really want to tick off," Smith said of the Australian Open, which will be played at The Lakes from Thursday.
I’ve been playing in the Aussie Open since I was about 16 and I have been dreaming about winning it ever since I started playing golf.
"I’ve been playing in the Aussie Open since I was about 16 and I have been dreaming about winning it ever since I started playing golf, but now I’m in a position where I actually can do it. I’d love to knock that first one off, and it would mean a lot to me.
"There’s probably a little bit more expectation this year and I’ve really been putting in the hard yards the last month or so preparing myself at home. [My year] was kind of really consistent one way or the other, it was either really good or really bad. I put my hand up for that. I just got a little bit lazy in the middle of the season there."
Smith missed four straight cuts shortly after a top-five finish at the US Masters in April, locking up his spot at Augusta next year as he surged well inside the world's top 50.
He will be an obvious drawcard for Australian Open organisers, who have assembled a deep field for this year's tournament without the genuine superstars it has been blessed with in recent years.
American world No.30 Keegan Bradley will be joined by compatriots Matt Kuchar, Brendan Steele and Brandt Snedeker in a field that will also include Indian cult hero Anirban Lahiri and big-hitting Belgian Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts.
But the likes of Rory McIlroy, Spieth, Day and Scott, who have been the major drawcards in recent years, won't be anywhere to be seen around The Lakes.
"I just love coming home," Smith said. "I try to get home as much as I can, even during the middle of the year if I have a few weeks off I’ll get back. I just like coming back and seeing everyone more than anything.
"It’s nice to give back because Golf Australia, the PGA and the state bodies have done so much for my golf. To be at a stage where I can give back is always nice.
"But on the other hand, I can completely understand the other guys who have families and busy schedules. A few weeks off at the end of the year never hurts. I can see both sides. I never used to be able to, but now I definitely can see it.
"I think I’ve proved to myself now I can give it a crack, and I’m going out there every week thinking that I can win. That probably wasn’t the case three or four years ago."
Source: Read Full Article