Make of it what you will, Cam Smith is living a full life, and he has no regrets. The 2022 Open champion joined LIV Golf in a shock move barely a month after his victory at St. Andrews. For the Ripper GC captain, the choice was easy. And fans don’t disagree with him.

Greg Norman said in a previous interview that he never persuaded Smith to join his league. And the Ripper GC captain’s words also evince that. Smith told Forbes in a recent interview, “I spoke to all the right people, weighed every option. Once I made the call, I never looked back.”

The nine-figure contract has made him rich. Actually, the richest. Currently, Cam Smith is the highest-paid Australian athlete per Forbes. But the former Open Champion insists life looks still the same. 

The 31-year-old said, “After I won my first PGA Tour event… I went out and bought a car. It wasn’t anything crazy—about $150,000 at the time—and I still have it to this day. I didn’t change it or anything—it’s still in the garage.”

Arguably, some things have changed. Smith now plays on a team. He now plays in fewer events; LIV has a 14-tournament schedule. The season ended in October, leaving the Ripper GC captain to tee off in some of the events closer home.

He is already in the fourth event in his country after netting three consecutive top-five finishes. All in all, fans believe this is the life anyone could’ve asked for. Smith got the opportunity and grabbed it. 

Fans see no reason to criticize Cam Smith for his smart move

After his move to LIV Golf, Cameron Smith had to endure taunts from fans and censure from critics. He was viewed as a prospective top-ten player in the future. And many believed Smith was ruining his career by joining a 54-hole nascent league. 

Two years later, fans are still divided on it. Whereas some believe he made the right call because he got the biggest paycheck and stood very little to lose. One user commented, “His putter that year was on another level, and he leveraged it into a major and $100 mil. Good for him.”

Another user wrote, “He bet big and won. Good for him.” There was some obvious risk of joining LIV Golf. The former world no. 2 now ranks 100th in the OWGR table. But because of his Open Championship victory, the Australian has exemptions to the majors for a few years more. “He has a fat check and can play in the British Open until like 2060; he’s doing just fine,” commented one fan on Reddit.

It would appear that the Aussie is indeed living fine. Smith enjoys spending time with his teammates. Ripper GC made a podium finish twice this year, and Smith didn’t let go of the opportunity to celebrate. One user joked, “Dude is just happy playing a game and fishing with friends.” The former Open champion loves fishing. He even pulled out a fishing hook at Mayakoba earlier this year.

Others, however, believe Cam Smith could’ve been a better player had he stayed on the PGA Tour. Since joining the PIF-funded side, the 31-year-old has netted three top-tens in the major, the last being a T6 at the 2024 Masters. Notably, Smith also managed three runner-up finishes in LIV Golf this season. Referring to that, one user commented, “Who’s to say the #3 player in the world wouldn’t have held his momentum had he stayed playing real golf?”

But it’s clear that regardless of what you, me, or anyone else think, Cam Smith is enjoying life. The one-time major winner is currently teeing off at the Australian Open.