Golf world reacts to Scottie Scheffler-Cameron Smith moment

Rumors and reports have been swirling about Australian golfer Cameron Smith leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. Fellow Aussie Cameron Percy suggested Smith would be joining the Saudi-backed league and reports have all but confirmed it in recent days, but the 2022 British Open champion has danced around confirmations of the fact as of yet.

Smith’s likely move is sure to rankle a lot of his PGA Tour compatriots, but his refusal to just admit it at this point might be adding to the disdain being pointed in his direction. That disdain might have been on display Thursday in the first round of the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, TN.

Scottie Scheffler, who previously made it very clear that intends to stick with the PGA Tour, was seen walking directly in front of Smith during the British Open winner’s attempt to line up a putt. That’s a very clear violation of golf’s unwritten rules and it’s hard to imagine that Scheffler didn’t know that, especially as it appeared that he changed direction when he realized what Smith was doing. The fact that he continued walking as if he hadn’t noticed also seems very unlikely to be an accident.

https://twitter.com/JNucci23/status/1557752028721553415

To be fair, the two golfers high-fived one another earlier in the round after Smith hit a hole-out eagle on the par-4 13th hole. So it remains entirely possible that this was indeed an accident.

However, much of the golf world certainly didn’t seem to think so.

Let the petty drama between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf continue!

[John Nucci]