THE 153RD OPEN

July 17, 2025

Cam Smith

Mixed Zone

Q. How was it out there today?

CAM SMITH: It was pretty good. Pretty solid, particularly that back nine. Could have really got away from me, I think. Hung in there nice and just committed to some swings, what I've been doing the last few times out. Gave myself a little bit of a talking to through nine and played that last nine really solidly.

Q. (No microphone.)

CAM SMITH: I can't say it.

Q. Can you explain it?

CAM SMITH: I've just been doing a really good job of committing to swings and committing to shots. I think being a little bit uncomfortable out there, it just kind of slipped my mind a few times and hit a few bad shots and got myself into a bit of trouble when I really shouldn't have. I've been swinging the club really nicely.

Like I said, I just need to go out there and commit to some swings. I was able to do that on the back nine and give myself a lot of looks, which was nice.

Q. How nice will it be to tee off tomorrow knowing you shot 3-under through nine and kind of right back in it?

CAM SMITH: Definitely a bit of a confidence boost today on the back nine for sure. When stuff's not going through our way sometimes, like I said, it can get really away from me. I did a really good job of hanging in there, a bit of Queensland spirit.

No, but it was really good. Looking forward to tomorrow. It's a tough test. You need to hit every shot perfect. A bit of luck of the Irish out there too wouldn't hurt.

Q. Talk us through 16.

CAM SMITH: 16, the par-3. Pretty nice, 5-iron in there to about 30 feet and rolled one in. Had a few nice looks leading up to that and was beginning to get a little bit frustrating. So it was good to see that one go in. Yeah, a couple under on the back nine every day here will work.

Q. Is it going to be that sort of thing given the conditions? Looks like it's going to be a pretty tough weather forecast for the next few days.

CAM SMITH: I think that's every major. You see the guys that are playing well, and generally the guys at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the week are the guys that are grinding it out and really putting 100 per cent into every shot. For sure that's how it's going to be. Looks like we're going to get a bit of Open weather here the next few days. Yeah, kind of strap in.

Q. How nervy is that tee shot on 1? (Laughter)?

CAM SMITH: Talking about committing to swings. We warm up on the range, and it's kind of down out of the right and you kind of lead yourself into a bit of false sense of security, and then you get there, and it's like, yeah, all right. Really need to step up here. I think I tried to hit that one underground and almost missed it. Not the greatest start to a major championship I've ever had, but from there it was actually all right.

Q. Do you feel you've perfected the in-between rounds at Opens now, to switch off and get ready for the next test? Because it is such a long, grueling week in this weather.

CAM SMITH: You can definitely beat yourself up. I think you can beat yourself up even in the practice rounds out here. You can hit too many shots and do a bit too much linksy stuff, whereas I don't think you really need to change anything other than a bit of flight stuff. You don't really need to hit it so low. I think that's where I got caught up when I was first over here. Everyone tells you you need to keep the ball down. You're just trying to hit it so low that you don't actually hit a good golf shot. It doesn't need to be that. It just needs to be a touch lower and committing to swings and lines.

Q. How will you switch off? Will you go into town and have a Guinness? Watch TV back at the house kind of guy?

CAM SMITH: I'll probably just lay down, to be honest. It was like a nap we had overnight. I'm looking forward to a bit of a nap this afternoon and a bit of dinner and go again tomorrow.

Q. Can I just ask how highly you rate this Open course as an Open venue, how highly you rate the golf course?

CAM SMITH: I mean, it's right up there. It's hard to beat St Andrews. Obviously I'm biased. It seems like there's a lot of Opens where the course is great but the town doesn't really get involved, whereas this one kind of seems like everyone in town is happy to have you here and gets around the whole tournament. It's right up there. It's a very similar feeling to St Andrews for sure.

Q. What did you make of the crowds out there today?

CAM SMITH: There wasn't many of them when we teed off. It was almost dark when we teed off, but yeah, there was a few that got out there on the back nine. They're great fans. I love the UK fans. They're polite. They know a good shot from a bad shot. I think sometimes when you're playing golf, you hit a really nice shot to kind of 30, 40 feet, and maybe some fans don't get that, whereas these guys out here really understand that it's a great shot. So I appreciate the fans.

Q. Nice to see Westwood playing so well at The Open?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I played with him a few weeks ago. He was striking it really nice. This is the best I've seen him hit it in the last few years. Hopefully he stays up there, the old boy.

Q. Any impressions of Justin Hastings? I'm sure you didn't know much about him. He's in here because he won the Latin American Amateur. He came in the Masters at the U.S. Open, Low Am at the U.S. Open. I was just wondering if you saw anything in his game that you liked or impressed you?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, he got off to a bit of a rough start, but kind of the same thing, just hung in there. He hit the ball really good and scrambled well. So I don't really see too many things that he's going to struggle with. Yeah, hopefully he just keeps grinding out there and has a good weekend.