Hong Kong Open: Cameron Smith hopes to ‘get the mojo back’ – and become latest Australian name on trophy
- Smith dreams of adding his name to a long list of past Australian winners at Fanling – ‘it would be nice to join them,’ he says
- The 30-year-old arrives after finishing second to Talor Gooch in the LIV Golf individual standings, and two weeks before Australian Open
Cameron Smith is hoping to “get the mojo back” at the Hong Kong Open this week, while adding his name to a long list of past Australian winners in the process.
Golfers from Down Under have won the tournament 15 times since it first started in 1959, with Smith’s compatriot Wade Ormsby the defending champion.
The list reads like a who’s who of Australian golf, with Peter Thomson, Scott Hend and Greg Norman, along with Kiwi Frank Nobilo, all having their names on the historic trophy.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Smith spent time studying the names engraved on the base and said he had been looking at “how many times Peter Thomson won”.
Thomson won three times in Hong Kong between 1960 and 1967, and won The Open Championship five times between 1954 and 1965. Smith has that major to his name, winning at St Andrews last year.
“I feel like his [Thomson’s] name is on every trophy around the world,” Smith said. “That guy travelled so much, I adore him. It’s a really good list of players up there for sure, and lots of Aussies have been successful around here. So, it’d be nice to join that list.”
