The Phone Call That Brought Marc Leishman to LIV Golf

After getting off the phone with Greg Norman, Marc Leishman needed to check with his best friend, Cam Smith, before making a LIV Golf decision. Since then, Leish has zero regrets.

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yeah I I I am actually curious because
we never really got to to chat with you
um and spend enough time with you when
you joined live just kind of share with
us how that
conversation happened when did Cam call
you uh what did he say to you and kind
of what convinced you to then make that
decision to come over to
live yeah well
um we spoke about
it oh it would have been it was it was
all happened pretty quick I got a call
off off Greg um I reckon it was the week
after the US
Open
um they wanted you know me CAM and um I
called Cam and I’m like mate I said I’m
probably not going to go unless you go
so what do you like and if you don’t
want to go that’s fine um but don’t J
judge make your decision on me and then
he said well I’m not going unless you’re
going and I’m like well you know it
seems pretty pretty good you know we put
all the positives and negatives down and
um the positives far outweigh the
negatives and um it turned out to be a
pretty pretty easy decision and um I
think it was a good thing was we’re both
got very similar upbringings um
workingclass families um we like
enjoying ourselves we I guess
you’re you know a lot of people live to
work we work to live um although we do
have a really really cool job um so it
was a it was a fairly easy decision and
one that um I certainly haven’t
regretted one bit I know cam is as happy
as he’s ever been as well so um we’re
both very happy um particularly to be
going back to Australia this week
um you know going back to well
everything that that is going to you
know showcase all of us in in front of
the Australian fans and um being our
home
country um so yeah it’s been been
amazing couldn’t be
happier yeah it’s such a it’s such an
Aussie way of life I work to live you
know it’s it’s it’s kind of like the
Australian motto isn’t it it’s just like
everybody is that way and that’s why the
culture is so awesome and laidback and
chill and I I love it I I would move
back to Australia in a hard I made when
I went there and I’m gonna date myself
here because I am I’m a fossil
you’re a dinosaur dinosaur same
fossil is a dead dinosaur just so you
know um not that there are any live ones
besides me I went there in 1988 89 to
play played for an entire season six and
a half months lived in Australia
and and my one observation a number of
observations but the one that stuck with
me most coming from America is a
nine-to-five job in Australia means you
leave home about nine you’re sure as
hell home by
five and that as opposed to In America
which thinks they have a strong work I
think until you go to many Asian
countries where we’re laughed at too but
and then and then the guys the bosses
who drove the nice cars they didn’t have
traffic because they were always on the
road getting there by 7:30 or 8 and
there was no traffic but the the people
who had jobs like I grew up in a
bluecollar family a workingclass family
as well and and I I love that about him
the second part that falls in line with
that is when I was there and I think
it’s still that way because in America
I’m introduced as Jerry the golf
commentator this is Jim the accountant
there’s there’s suan you the Entertainer
um sorry I just pulled that out of
nowhere but you’re introduc your your
your value your identity is your
occupation in Australia it was always
considered back then I think it’s the
same way now rude to even ask somebody
what they did for a living until you got
to know them you’re either a good bloke
or a bad bloke period yeah no you spot
on um yeah you would never say this is
this is you know Jerry he’s a
commentator you know you’d be like yeah
this is my mate Jerry right right you
this is this is is my friend suan or
whatever you know You’ yeah you’d never
um and then let people make their own
decision
yeah exactly right to to illustrate that
we played in it was a Coco classic up in
the Gold Coast and there was a hotel
that an american guy oh really nice
hotel out on the water and he made sure
that all the American golfers got a
great rate there so we stayed there and
he invited us out to some big fancy not
fancy but like like family dinner style
place with entertainment um for dinner
and he goes yeah it’s just me and three
of my mates and you guys and you and you
and whoever you want just bring it’s on
me no big deal and we go there and these
four people we met the American but the
three Australians that are with them are
like they’re all just like best buddies
hanging out two guys two girls various
ages and what have you it turns out it’s
the owner the American owner of the
hotel the general manager an Aussie guy
older in his years but just the quality
salt of the earth guy and then two
ladies of you know VAR various
ethnicities and what have you we
couldn’t quite figure out it was the
owner the GM and two of the housekeeping
staff and they were just best friends
and that does not happen in America it
just doesn’t happen yeah yeah yeah
that’s so cool yeah yeah yeah just the
way we’re bought up it’s like you know
treat everyone equal no matter who they
are like everyone’s just trying to make
a living um all breathe the same air all
you know all all going to end up in the
same place so yep it’s um it’s pretty
good way to live yeah I agree yeah
speaking of Australians I mean you guys
are an all Australian team that Ripper
um I’m I’m curious to hear your
perspective where do you see Ripper
GC in the future like what what does
that look like for Ripper
GC down the road I think a lot of people
want the want the merchandise and want
the this and want that and I think um
you could build I’ve see the franchise
growing um massively um cuz I mean you
know you’ve got the you know the
Fireballs is I guess the Spanish team
you got the South American team
Majestics is the english team um and
then we the Aussie team um so I think
you know I think in the future I think
um as far as merchandise that’s the
first place my brain goes um I think it
will it will continue to be an
Australian team firstly but um I think
instead of buying you know you’re going
to a pro shop instead of buying a
Callaway or a titlist hat or a ping hat
people are going to be buying you know
Ripper hats or you know whatever
whatever it is so I think that’s one
huge opportunity for for ripper in in
Australia is um get everyone into the
gear and you know give give the
opportunity to buy it at the moment well
I think they’ve only just recently in
the last month or so been able to get
the merchandise I know we get a million
um Instagram and all these social media
things asking us where where to get it
and what we don’t really know so I think
that once that gets taken care of it’s
going to grow rapidly well last year you
guys completely sold out your hats like
instantly sold out there any left they
will sell out hope they made enough for
this share yeah yeah and and speaking of
which if anyone’s wondering about my
t-shirt it will be available in Adelaide
at the merchandise store uh you can get
that there uh but I’m sure you’re going
to have to get in quick because I’m
pretty sure it’s going to get sold out
this not this is a really cool one
actually they have it in your size a
chip you know really they won’t have it
in your size that’s for sure
off