THE 154TH OPEN

July 17, 2026

Cam Smith

Mixed Zone

Q. Cam, we walked for a fair few holes with you and saw some really solid golf. But just one hole, I suppose?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, that's right. Just one bad swing. That's the golf course in major championships. They just constantly ask questions. If you hit a poor one, you've got to back it up with a good one.

Yeah, just it's -- yeah, I wish I could take that back.

Q. What were you feeling in the tournament, four birdies after the first eight holes. Seemed like you were really cooking. What were you feeling as you went into the back nine?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I felt good. I kept hitting quality shots, just didn't quite hit it as close as the front nine. Wind kind of got up a little bit. It was playing a touch tricky. It was just hard to get it in there tight.

The first seven or eight holes, it was still pretty much no wind. It was nice to take advantage of that while the conditions were good.

Q. What do you make of your chances of making the cut today?

CAM SMITH: I don't know. I don't want to jinx myself. The golf course isn't going to get any easier. It was like that yesterday afternoon. It's going to be a touch windier maybe this afternoon. We'll wait and see.

It would have been nice to have one more. I feel like, if I got in at 1-over, I feel like I'd be pretty comfortable. Yeah, we'll see what the afternoon holds.

Q. Lucas 7-under after 11 today, pretty incredible round.

CAM SMITH: Yes, I'm keeping an eye on the leaderboard obviously, but that's some pretty good golf. I think he teed off a couple hours after me. He would have got a half decent run those first three or four holes, but you've still got to do it.

Yeah, pretty incredible. Hopefully he keeps it going on the back nine.

Q. Can I ask you about your putter, Cam? Have you changed your putter at all?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, I changed to just a mallet. I've been kind of messing around with it a little bit at home the past couple weeks. It felt really nice, so I decided to put it in.

It's a little bit heavier, so on these slower greens, it kind of helps get the ball to the hole, which I didn't struggle with today. I had plenty of like 10-foot pars.

Q. Holed that one on 18.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, that was a nice one.

Yeah, just feels nice. I don't know. Just feels nice in my hands. It's a touch shorter, I think, and I just feel like I can get over it and hit it. Yeah, it's a nice feeling.

Q. Is it a hard call to make that sort of change?

CAM SMITH: Yeah. I mean, the old putter's been with me, I think since the start of 2020. It's been in a fair bit, and it's only had a couple of rounds off. I've switched it out here and there. I've thought, what am I doing?

Yeah, I don't think it's out forever. I just think it's a bit heavier and it just feels really nice, the new one, at the moment. So we'll see.

Q. Just back on Herbert, what growth have you seen in him the last couple years to the point where he's at in his career? He's in the sweet spot of his professional life at the moment.

CAM SMITH: Yeah, just he works hard. He keeps wanting to get better. He was already good when he come and joined the Rippers a couple years ago, and you've seen him go from strength to strength. I feel like the team environment has really helped him, and he's asked questions. Now I think he's learned everything he needs to learn, and he's taking advantage of it and playing really good golf.

And he's so confident at the moment. Like once he gets going, like this morning I'm sure he's just hitting it in there to three and four feet on every hole and making putts. Like once he gets his irons going, it's pretty cool to watch.

Q. Just with the 18th hole, Cam, Matt Wallace was out earlier and said the 18th hole is one of the best finishing holes. It's a par-5 for members. So I guess that's why it's a bit longer.

CAM SMITH: It is a par-5, you're right (laughter).

Q. Just wondering what to make of it. Is it challenging? Difficult? Strategic?

CAM SMITH: Yeah, it's one of probably the two or three holes where you kind of have to hit driver and kind of have to take it all on. I feel like you get a choice of most of the other holes, but the 18th you kind of have to -- you have to hit driver. It's just too far. You have to hit a good one.

It's a great finishing hole. It's a tough finishing hole.

Q. Maybe just thoughts on the round of Lucas?

CAM SMITH: He just holed another one. Like I said, once he's confident and he's feeling it, he's pretty cool to watch. I'm sure he'll keep going. I hope he does.