Cameron Smith, captain of the 2024 LIV Golf Team Champions Ripper GC,  began his four-tournament stretch in his native Australia with a solid 5-under 67, leaving him in solo third and one shot off the lead after Thursday’s opening round of the Queensland PGA Championship.

Smith began his early-morning round at Nudgee GC’s Kurrai Course at the 10th hole by hitting his first tee shot into the water, eventually resulting in his only bogey of the day. 

He avoided any further dropped shots thanks to his putter, including a 25-foot par putt at the 14th hole after finding the greenside bunker. He said the up-and-down saved his round.

“That was probably the moment for me,” Smith said. “I mean, 2-over early is never a really good start.”

Two holes later, Smith made his first birdie from 22 feet – the first of six birdies during a nine-hole stretch – in a round he described as “really solid.”

“I think it is a really gettable golf course but, given the conditions with how windy and gusty it gets, it’s just hard to kind of control your ball. And you’re left with a bunch of 30, 40-footers it seems,” Smith said. “It’s nice to roll a couple of those in. If you don’t, you’re kind of back there at 2 or 3-under, and that’s a really solid round too.”

For the first two rounds, Smith is paired with two amateurs – 2024 Cameron Smith Scholarship winners Wesley Hinton (75) and Kayun Mudadana (74).  Meanwhile, a former scholarship winner, Billy Dowling, is tied atop the leaderboard with defending champion Phoenix Campbell at 6 under.

Smith is using LIV Golf’s extended offseason to compete in front of his home fans with a schedule that also includes the  New South Wales Open along with the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship.

“I love supporting Australian golf and when the opportunity arises to play, I want to be there,” Smith said. “I try to get back home as much as I can.”

Smith is looking for his first individual trophy in Australia since winning the 2022 Australian PGA, although his all-Australian Rippers won the team title earlier this year at LIV Golf Adelaide in LIV Golf’s first-ever team playoff. The Rippers topped off the season by claiming the Team Championship in Dallas.

PGA of Australia contributed to this report.