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Major champ urges Cam Smith to turn down reported mammoth offer to join LIV

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Two days after winning the 150th Open Championship, speculation is ramping up as to the potential for Cam Smith to join the LIV Golf Series.

The 28-year-old has the potential to become one of his country’s most decorated golfers, with the green jacket well in reach after being runner-up, third, fifth and 10th in his last five attempts around the hallowed turf.

Now ranked No. 2 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Smith would be the catch of the year for the Greg Norman-led series. Indeed, rumors of an offer of around $100 million to join the Saudi-backed tour is reportedly on the table for the Aussie.

What makes the episode more enthralling was Smith’s response during his winner’s press conference.

When a reporter asked Smith whether he was considering joining the rebel league, the answer was less than convincing:

“I just won the British Open and you’re asking about that? I think that’s … not that good.”

To make matters worse, when pressed to answer if he was in talks with LIV, Smith was very inconclusive:

“I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”

Of course, he’s just won the biggest tournament in the calendar, and on one of the great historic occasions, so he is easy to forgive. However, it hasn’t stopped him from dominating this week’s headlines.

Whilst Smith’s coach, Grant Field, insisted, “The sky is the limit for Cam. I can see more majors in his future if he puts the work in,” fellow Aussie Open winner, Ian Baker-Finch, pleaded with Smith to reject any further advances from the rebels.

The 61-year-old, winner of the Open at Royal Birkdale, said he understood the appeal for both sides, telling the Australian radio station 3AW that:

“I know that they’re talking to him and to many others. I hope he doesn’t (accept) because I think he can leave a great legacy by winning major championships and becoming the best player in the world.”

On the huge money that is reputed to have been offered, the CBS Sports analyst admitted that, “I don’t think he needs the money. I don’t think it’s going to be something he should do. It’s his decision – he’ll be a $100 million guy or more if he did go.”

Baker-Finch didn’t seem convinced by the way Smith answered questions, commenting:

“Does he want to win more majors or does he want the money?” before putting up the case to stay on the main tours.

“I’m hoping that he stays (on the PGA Tour). Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy and a lot of those guys that still compete and play well in majors and want to win majors and want to leave a legacy. They’re the guys I would be following.”

In a more general swipe at the way the LIV program is being advertised, Baker-Finch again hopes for a change in the way younger players look at the series.

“The guys who go join LIV are going to miss out on the grind, what it takes to be a champion, to play in the great tournaments against the great players,” he said.

“It’s hard work. And you’re not going to be a better player by going and playing 54-hole exhibition matches and getting paid 150-grand to finish last.”

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Butch Harmon reveals what he worked on with Rory McIlroy during visit earlier this year

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While speaking on the “Son of a Butch” Podcast, legendary swing coach Butch Harmon revealed what he worked on with Rory McIlroy when the four-time major champion went to visit him after the Players Championship this season.

“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make more 3 quarter swings and chop the follow through off a little. He’s a very high ball hitter, but with short irons high balls aren’t good, it’s hard to control, we wanted to bring the ball flight down.”

The work certainly seemed to help McIlroy, as he went on to win the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in back-to-back starts.

Rory will now tee it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship, which is the site of his most recent major victory in 2014.

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Brandel Chamblee says this technological development was key to Phil Mickelson winning major championships

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While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee shared that he believes the solid core golf ball helped Phil Mickelson win major championships.

“One of the consequences of the solid core golf ball coming around was it put the straightest of hitters in the rough.

“Phil started winning majors in 2004, I don’t think that’s any coincidence. I think he started winning majors after the solid core golf ball came along and put everybody in the rough.

“And so [Phil] is like ‘I got you in the rough, I’m going to kick your a**. This is my game. I’ve been in the rough my whole career. I can go over trees, through trees, around trees.’

“Because he’s got that amazing creativity and Phil is an underrated iron player, phenomenal iron player. Great, great great out of the trouble. If you put the top-40 players on a list and ranked them in terms of accuracy, he would be 40th.

“So, I think that was one of the consequences of the solid core golf balls was it allowed Phil to win major championships.”

Mickelson went on to win the Masters in 2004 as well as five additional majors from 2004-2021 including three total Masters, two PGA Championships, and an Open Championship.

Check out the full interview with Chamblee below:

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Former Augusta National employee pleads guilty to transporting stolen Masters memorabilia; Arnold Palmer’s green jacket among stolen items

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According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man was charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National last month.

The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.

The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

The document was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Since then, more details have emerged about the case.

According to Darren Rovell of Cllct, one of the items that was stolen was Arnold Palmer’s green jacket.

The Chicago Tribune also reported that Globensky was able to steal the merchandise due to his role as a former warehouse coordinator at Augusta National who oversaw the Masters merchandise that was sold.

Rovell states that “A source with intimate knowledge of the case said an Augusta National member, who knew the jacket was missing, contacted a well-known collector who had gained a reputation for tracking down rare items. The member’s goal was to return the jacket to Augusta under the guise of purchasing it in a private sale.”

The plan worked, and the man agreed to sell the jacket for an agreed upon price of $3.6 million. After the sale was complete, the FBI swarmed the house of the thief.

Cllct also reported that Globensky pled guilty in a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday and now faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Chicago Tribune adds that Globensky’s plea deal includes an agreement to provide the government a cashier’s check for $1.5 million in the next few days.

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