Cam Smith breaks silence on viral “dress jacket”

What is it about Aussies and making a sartorial splash at The Masters?

Last year, it was Jason Day and his sweater vest. This year, it’s Cam Smith and his dress jacket.

The former Open champion went viral on Wednesday when he was spotted on the range at Augusta National rocking a navy blazer.

Predictably, the outfit sent social media into metldown, prompting wild speculation about the reason for the odd choice of clothing.

Some speculated that it was a kind of training aid or something else linked to technique or performance. Others drew the conclusion that it was more likely to be a bit of ambush marketing on the part of the 31-year-old and the Greyson apparel brand that kits out his Ripper GC LIV team.

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After opening his Masters title tilt with a one-under 71, the Australian came clean on what motivated him to dress the way he did.

“Funny story,” he began. “I met Charlie, the Grayson guy, at [LIV Golf’s] teams week, and we had a couple of beers – and maybe even a couple too many beers – and we got to talking about fashion.

“He said, ‘It would be great if you wore a blazer at the Masters. I think it’s the place to do it, and I agreed to it.’ I’m a man of my word, so I did it.”

He added: “It was actually good, though. I mean, for how a sport coat or a blazer should feel, I was able to swing in it pretty easily. It was a bit chilly, so it kind of worked out.

“It was pretty good. I wouldn’t say I’m a fashion guru by any standard, but I felt good in it.”

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Of course, Smith would much rather be wearing a Green Jacket and has put himself into a great position to do so after a promising start.

The key to his opening round? A hot putter.

“My putting seems unreal at the moment,” he said. “I feel like this whole start of the year I’ve hit a lot of good putts and even a lot of great shots and haven’t really got much out of it.

“Today, I definitely got the most out of my round, which is a good way to start. It gives you the confidence to go at some pins and do stuff you wouldn’t normally do and be aggressive.”

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Head of Content