LIV Golf 2026 Season Player Preview: Cameron Smith

The 2026 LIV Golf season starts next February under the lights in Riyadh, and in the next few months, we’ll take a detailed look at each player competing next season. Next up is former Open Champion and three-time winner on LIV Golf, Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith.

LOOKING AHEAD

Golf is a game where form comes and goes, even at the highest level. There’s no denying that Smith’s play over the past 18 months has been disappointing but writing him off would be premature. At 32 years old, Smith is in his prime and has the talent and ceiling to compete with the best players in golf once again.

Smith has never been (and never will be) the longest or most accurate ball-striker in the world. Yet history shows that when he’s simply average off the tee and on approach shots, his scoring-club wizardry turns him into a top-5 player on LIV Golf and a threat to win anywhere in the world. A modest rebound in ball-striking in 2026 could easily flip the script.

LOOKING BACK

Smith found himself safely inside the Lock Zone, but he was far from the dominant force that once made him one of the best players on the planet. The Ripper GC captain won two LIV Golf titles in 2023 but has now gone two full seasons without a victory. 2025 delivered his lowest-ever finish in the season-long race and the first time in his LIV Golf career that he’s landed outside the top 10 (2nd in 2023, 7th in 2024). While his five top-10s were still the most on Ripper GC, only one cracked the top 5: a T5 in Mexico City. He also missed the cut at all four major championships. Considering his first child was born in March, the dip in form could just be a temporary for the former Open Champion.

WHAT THE STATS SAY

Strengths: Even in a subpar season, Smith’s short game was nothing short of spectacular. He ranked 1st in the league in Strokes Gained: Around the Green (+0.65) and 4th in Strokes Gained: Putting (+0.62). His stellar short game led to a 66% scrambling rate, which ranked 2nd in the league and a 69% sand save percentage, which ranked 1st in the league.

Overall, Smith struggled with his approach to play, but his shots from 225+ yards were an area of strength. On those shots, he ranked 6th in the league (+0.13).

Despite ranking 18th in the standings, Smith ranked 6th in the league in scoring average (69.6) and ranked in the top 10 in par-4 scoring at 28-under.

Weaknesses: Smith struggled off the tee both in 2025 and for the majority of his career. Last season, he ranked 30th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (-0.31). He hit only 52% of his fairways, which ranked in the bottom third of the league. He ranked 36th in Strokes Gained: Approach (-0.19).

Smith’s poor approach play led to playing the par 3s at a cumulative +15, which was tied for the worst of any player in the top 20 of the standings.

CAREER RESULTS

LIV GOLF REGULAR SEASON

TOTAL TROPHIES WON (8)

LIV GOLF CAREER SCORING

Stroke Average Total: 68.81
Round 1 Average: 68.74
Round 2 Average: 68.71
Round 3 Average: 68.98

Lowest Round: 61

BOTTOM LINE

Smith has been grinding all offseason and looks just a couple of small tweaks away from rediscovering the form that once made him a perennial winner. With guaranteed starts in all four majors in 2026, Smith will get the opportunity to make up for a disappointing 2025 major campaign.

I’m confident he’ll be back.