Ripper GC looks to reset, refocus after dream start to season

Very rarely in professional sports does a team claim their version of the Super Bowl this early in the season. But Ripper GC did just that at LIV Golf Adelaide, emerging victorious on home turf at The Grange in front of a record-breaking, raucous Australian crowd of more than 115,000 —the biggest in Australian golf history.

The Ripper triumph in Adelaide came hot on the heels of their win in Riyadh just one week earlier, where the team kicked off the 2026 season by sweeping both the team title and the individual trophy, courtesy of 23-year-old rookie Elvis Smylie, who won in his LIV Golf debut. 

Even with the taste of champagne still lingering and the unmistakable whiff of a fresh shoey in the air, Ripper GC knows the real season is just getting started. 

Winning big, especially at home, is a dream scenario for the all-Aussie squad. But achieving goals early in the year also demands a quick mental and physical reset to avoid burnout on the long road ahead.

With back-to-back team titles already secured, the focus now shifts to keeping that fire burning through a demanding three-week stretch: the precision-demanding layout at Hong Kong Golf Club this week, followed by the sweltering heat and humidity of Sentosa in Singapore, and then the highly anticipated debut in South Africa at The Club at Steyn City, an event poised to deliver the same electric, home-soil energy that has made Adelaide one of the most unforgettable tournaments in all of professional golf.

Captain Cameron Smith, speaking at the team's pre-tournament press conference in Hong Kong, emphasized not taking the momentum for granted while stressing the importance of rest after the highs of Adelaide. 

"It was nice for us to have a couple of weeks off after a couple of really big weeks," Smith said. "I can speak for myself, on Sunday night I was pretty wrecked. I was ready to go to sleep and have a couple of weeks off. It was nice to reset. But again, just the hard work in the last couple of weeks, got straight back on to it towards the end of the first week and prepared for these three weeks coming up; a really big three weeks, particularly Singapore in the middle, it's very hot. It takes a lot out of you. So resting up and being fresh is important."

He also expressed optimism in the group's ability to make it three team wins in a row at Fanling, a course the team loves.

"We've got a lot of really good momentum behind us," Smith said. "We all feel really confident, and we're ready for this week. It's a golf course that we all love, and we've all played well on before. There's no reason why we can't make it three in a row.”

Marc Leishman  echoed the enthusiasm for the venue. 

"Certainly speaking for myself, I love the golf course," he said. "I think it's a unique golf course. Certainly not a bomber's paradise. You have to really position it off the tee. It's really a second-shot golf course ... Crowds here are amazing. Hopefully it's going to suit my game and these three blokes sitting next to me. It would be nice if we could make it three in a row for Rippers and get another individual win for one of us on the team."

Elvis Smylie, fresh off a dream start to his LIV Golf career, is embracing the reset and building confidence.

"It's obviously been a dream start for both me personally and the Ripper guys," Smylie said. "The celebration after Adelaide was a lot of fun, getting to spend it with these guys, and then having two weeks at home on the Gold Coast was nice just to be able to hit the reset button a bit."

Lucas Herbert, carrying serious momentum after T9 in Riyadh, T6 in Adelaide, and his solo second at the New Zealand Open, which secured his spot at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, sees the global travel as a perfect way to stay sharp.

"Being able to play all around the world in so many different conditions, climates, styles of golf courses, it's really special," Herbert explained. "It gives you something to look forward to each week. It gives you a nice reflection on the plane when you leave Sunday night or Monday morning, as well."

An added benefit for Herbert's performance in New Zealand is that he now gets to avoid the grueling 36-hole qualifier to earn entry into The Open Championship.

"Frees me up a bit physically not having to do the 36-hole qualifier," Herbert said. "This year there's a bit of time before the Open, wide open to get some preparation done, try and get over and play some links golf, so already looking into what that might look like. ... I feel like I'm getting into that stage of life and my career now where I need to start finishing a little bit higher than what I have been in these major championships. So, for me, this is a really good opportunity to do that. I want to give everything I've got to this one."

As good as things have been going for Herbert, he knows better than to prioritize celebrations over rest with the upcoming schedule.

"Pretty hectic," Herbert admitted. "Obviously finish Sunday, get packed up, pretty early flight Monday, to then get here. I'd have loved to have celebrated a little bit, but honestly, with the next three weeks coming up, I haven't had a drop of alcohol and I’ll continue that the next three weeks, as well. Obviously like Cam said, Singapore is going to be brutal, so I want all the energy I can for that week."

Leishman summed up the mental shift after early highs.

"Golf is a funny game like that," he said. "You feel amazing for a couple hours after you finish, and it kind of diminishes fairly quickly and then you get back to work. We're all very competitive, determined, and we all know how good it feels to win tournaments, and we want that feeling again. It's actually quite easy to get motivated.” 

With the proper mindset, Ripper GC heads into Hong Kong not just riding momentum but actively protecting and channeling their strong start into their ultimate goal of a Team Championship victory in Michigan. 

"I want to feel like I played as good a golf or maybe better than that, how I played last year, and then continue that on throughout the year and get us close to that Team Championship we all want to win in Detroit in August," Herbert said.