Cam Smith sees silver lining after being upstaged by teenage protege

One-time large victor Cam Smith was upstaged connected his instrumentality to his hometown for the Queensland PGA Championship but was capable to spot the positives pursuing the opening round

LIV Golf prima Cam Smith admitted that helium felt a consciousness of "pride" after helium was upstaged by 1 of his erstwhile assistance proteges astatine the Queensland PGA Championship.

The one-time large victor made an content connected his instrumentality to his Australia connected Thursday, ending the opening circular five-under-par 67. That showing near the 31-year-old 3rd connected the leaderboard, with lone Phoenix Campbell and Billy Dowling up of him astatine Nudgee Golf Club.

Smith missed the chopped astatine the Australian PGA successful Brisbane past year, with this instrumentality to his hometown proving a much productive workout truthful far. However, it was not mislaid connected the 2022 Open Championship victor that his protege Dowling had outperformed him successful the opening circular successful Queensland.

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The teen was a recipient of the Cameron Smith Scholarship previously, with Smith confessing that helium was delighted to spot the youngster excelling astatine the tournament. He said: "He’s bully kid – I emotion Billy. It does marque maine a small spot proud. You conscionable anticipation that he’s taken a small spot and past helium tin fig retired what helium wants and spell connected his ain way."

The erstwhile world No. 2 besides was showing existent scholars Wesley Hinton and Kayun Mudadana the ropes successful Brisbane connected Thursday. As for Dowling himself, helium felt his show successful the archetypal circular demonstrated wherefore helium received the scholarship, arsenic helium asserted: "It confirms wherefore I was there."

Opening up connected his attack erstwhile it comes to helping younger players, Smith said: "I conscionable fto them bash their ain thing. First and foremost, I’ve got to interest astir what I’m doing, but I mightiness talk to them contiguous astir a mates of things that I saw. They really played not excessively bad. That upwind was tricky, and they conscionable seemed a small spot nervy, which is understandable."

As for his ain show connected location soil, the six-time PGA lawsuit victor said: "There’s conscionable a mates of truly awkward tee shots for myself retired there, peculiarly connected that backmost 9 with that upwind getting up. The rest, from 16 onwards, truly felt comfy with the driver, and I truly conscionable benignant of fto it go. It was each bully stuff."

"Familiar faces are ever bully to see. I had a fewer mates retired determination today, arsenic good arsenic Mum and Dad," helium continued, arsenic helium reflected connected the joys of playing successful beforehand of a location assemblage and household members. "Mum hasn’t astir apt watched maine since his clip past twelvemonth truthful it’s been a portion for her."

Meanwhile, lawsuit frontrunner Campbell kept a level caput erstwhile it came to his opening circular showing, adding: "I was a small tense but settled down quick, and got going, which is truly good. I truly similar that tense energy. I decidedly play truly good successful beforehand of crowds. I’m conscionable going to support utilizing that into the weekend."