Jay Monahan: Cam Smith’s PLAYERS absence is “awkward”

Jay Monahan has admitted that Cam Smith’s absence from this week’s PLAYERS Championship has posed some awkwardness.  

Smith, 29, won’t be at TPC Sawgrass this week to defend the title he won last year as he serves a PGA Tour suspension following his switch to LIV Golf.

Also missing are last year’s runner-up Anirban Lahiri and third-placed Paul Casey, who, like Smith, have also aligned with the Saudi-funded enterprise.

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Addressing the absence of Smith specifically, Monahan admitted that it was less than ideal to be staging the tour’s flagship tournament without its reigning champion.

Let’s have a day!

Gates open at 7:30 AM. #THEPLAYERS pic.twitter.com/WnO80Izgvo

— THE PLAYERS (@THEPLAYERS) March 7, 2023

“Cameron Smith had a great performance in 2022,” he said. “He was a deserved champion. I think as I look to this week and I look at the field that we have here and the strength from top to bottom, I think when we leave here on Sunday night we’re going to crown another deserving champion.

“Yes, it’s awkward but ultimately it’s a decision that he made. We’ve got an unbelievable field here this week and a history and tradition that one of these 144 is going to go seek to get.”

Monahan added that the PGA Tour’s position on allowing LIV golfers to return to the PGA Tour “has not changed”.

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There have been unsubstantiated reports that some players – most notably Brooks Koepka – have been having ‘buyers regret’ following their switch to Greg Norman-fronted league, and that are looking to navigate a route back to the PGA Tour.

According to Monahan, that prospect is absolutely not on the cards.

“For some reason, I’ve been hearing that [rumour] a lot recently,” he said. “The players that are playing on that tour are contractually obligated to play on that tour so I don’t think about hypothetical is relevant… but our position has not changed.” 

• The 2023 PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass gets underway on Thursday. Click here to view a full list of tee times and groupings.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered 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.

Deputy Editor