“Yes, it sucks to play bad in tournaments that probably mean a little bit more than others,” Smith told Australian Golf Digest this week at JCB Golf and Country Club in England, where he is chasing his first win since LIV Golf Bedminster in 2023. “I think it’s probably more of a mental issue than actual technique. But yeah, the major results weren’t good.” Questions about what has happened to Smith’s game are being asked. Has accepting the astronomical dollars to play in the LIV golf league dulled the motivation of a knockabout Queenslander who grew up trailing his dad around Brisbane’s Wantima Golf Club? Has the three-round LIV tournament format dulled his ability to compete against hardened PGA Tour rivals?