Cam Smith and Ripper GC’s Dallas Triumph

Cam Smith relives Ripper GC’s incredible triumph at the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas! Hear firsthand accounts of the pressure, the pivotal shots, and the undeniable team chemistry that led them to lift the trophy.

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and they will go to the 18th at Merido. It could be the definitive moment in the team championship final. It’s kind of a stressful situation enough when you’re playing for yourself, but when you’re playing for your mates, it’s even more elevated. Well, this would be a good time to hit a fairway, but the right rough is no big mistake. Anything but left. I would myself to be honest. Anything dry land. Exactly, Jerry. Even even after DJ hit it in the in the water, this is the most important shot of the week right here. You know, we only had a oneshot lead, so I really needed to hit that fairway. Yeah, I think he likes it. He striped it. That’s one of the best swings I’ve ever put on a driver. And I’ll I’ll remember that one. I actually remember that one. The man who couldn’t hit a fairway all day when it matters the most. What a shot. I grew up in northern suburbs of Brisbane, probably only 40 minutes outside the city. Very sporty city. You can kind of play whatever sport you wanted, whatever time of the year you wanted to. and you kind of play tournaments, go up the ranks, and then you go into amateur golf once you turn 18. Through Golf Australia, was able to travel a little bit, come to the US, go to the UK, played good enough to then get my tour card. You know, for me, it was great. Let’s get you to our new arrivals. The headliner of course, Cam Smith. What was one of your main reasons for joining golf? Getting juniors to play golf in Australia. I feel like me being able to spend more time in Australia, spend more time with those guys, really develop something cool with with the Adelaide tournament, it’s been phenomenal. I mean, you look at the participation in Australia. We’re able to play more golf down there as a team. That’s it. Play more golf, get more kids to play golf, and then have more future rippers out here in in years to come. The hopes of a golf mad nation squarely on their shoulders and Ripper GC have performed magnificently for Australia. It’s really what we set out to do and I think we’ve been a really big part of that. It’s due to the fans getting out there and Australians loving golf and and that’s what we want. [Applause] Now the top three seeds enter the frey. Only four teams can advance to tomorrow’s showpiece final. We got a buy in the first round. We won the second round and we really shouldn’t have even been there in the first place. That’ll do it for Matt Jones and Cam Smith. I felt like I was playing decent, but I feel like those guys at the time were playing better golf to me. And if I go with Jonesy, it’s half a point each. And then the other two guys have a full point, you know, on their shoulders. So raised eyebrows when Cam Smith put himself into the foresomes. Jonesy and I actually played pretty solid for Forsome. It was a hard game to get into rhythm and we just got beat by Sergio and Abe were who were pretty relentless really and didn’t really give much up. When we finished our match wasn’t looking good for us. The first point of that semifinal goes the Spaniard’s way. You know, that’s why we put the other two out there to get the job done. Leash and Herby really pulled through for us the last few holes there. They’ve got to win both singles. Herby was one or two down and Leash the same. 15th green Lucas Herbert to win the point for Ripper GC. That’s why we brought him into the team. We know how good he is under pressure when it really matters. He has a switch and is able to just make everything he looks at and get you out of some some pretty bad places. So, it was worth the pick. Brilliant by Lucas Herbert. It is one between Ripper GC and the Fireballs. and they just basically pulled something out of their ass and were able to win for the match to the final. Mark Leashman does it. Delight for Cam Smith. Lucas Herbert came back against David Pu and Mark Leechman likewise against a heartbroken Eugenio Jakarta. That part there might be the most I’ve been able to feel my heartbeat ever. I think over a heart le when it matters he manages to do something that not many people can do. Our final lineup is complete. I felt confident in them, you know, getting us across the line and and they did. It is going to be a blockbuster final day of the season here in the team championship final. We got off to such a good start that day and I really thought that we were the best team on the park. I thought we were going to be really hard to beat, but it’s it’s it’s crazy. So all of a sudden, four aces are a shot clear of the Iron Heads and three clear of Ripper GC. The momentum you can get from a couple of wins the couple of days before and you just really start to feel comfortable out there. Oh, what a good part. Oh yes. Can that spark a recovery for Ripper GC? They are still well in it. We still had four or five holes left at that point. Oh boy. Oh boy. Magnificent. When his team need him the most. What a putt. Riper GC8 underpar. They are level with the iron heads. You know it it was obviously a turning point but you know with the finish around here so much can happen and I knew that it wasn’t really game over. Ripper are favorites in the closing stages. We were on the 18th TE as Lucas was playing his last hole. I remember Harold Vanna holding the putt first. Harold Vana the third rolled this one in at his final hole. The first and then I saw Herby holding on top of him and gave it a great big fist bump. Lucas Herbert for Birdie at the first. Yes, Ripper retake the lead by a shot. It was an awesome awesome moment and they will go to the 18th at Merido. It could be the definitive moment in the team championship final. I was shooting myself to be honest. The right rough is no big mistake. Anything but left. Even even after DJ hit it in the in the water. This is the most important shot of the week right here. You know, we only had a one shot lead, so I really needed to hit that fairway. Oh, I think he likes it. He striped it. That’s one of the best swings I’ve ever put on a driver. And I’ll I’ll remember that one. I actually remember that one. The man who couldn’t hit a fairway all day when it matters the most. What a shot. Paul Jones and Herbert and Leeman can do his weight. It’s kind of a stressful situation enough when you’re playing for yourself, but when you’re playing for your mates, it’s even more elevated. It does mean so much for them. And not only them, I think it means so much for Australian golf. As you’ve been saying all day, they are people waking up in the middle of the night to support these guys. I left myself probably 40 ft up and over a hill. It wasn’t really the easiest two I’ve ever had, but yeah, at at that point, the boys are on the side of the green. you’re trying not to look at them because, you know, you’d almost have a giggle at each other and you’re really trying to still concentrate on what you what you’re trying to accomplish. And yeah, was able to twart. But here’s the winning moment after 8 months spanning the globe. [Music] They are the four wonders from down under in the Lone Star State. It is the Southern Cross that shines brightest. It is a win for Cam and his mates. It’s a victory for all of Australian golf. Yeah, it was it was a cool experience having the trophy in our hands, the rings. It was really cool. Ripper GC, the 2024 Lift Golf League team champions. Something that I’ll never forget. Winning as a team truly is special. You know, everyone did it for everyone. It wasn’t one person did the whole job. It was really a team effort that week. And that’s what it took to win. Having the trophy in our hands, the rings, it was really cool. [Applause]