Cameron Smith fuming as he blasts opponent for putting him on clock at Australian Open
Slow Play Drama: Cameron Smith hits out at his compatriot Elvis Smylie for their group being put on the clock during the second round of the Australian Open.
Cameron Smith has hit out at his compatriot and playing partner Elvis Smylie for putting their group on the clock in the second round of the Australian Open at Kingston Heath.
Smith, 31, raced out the blocks in the second round with an eagle on 1 followed by birdies at 3, 5 and 6 to charge to the top of the leaderboard.
But then as his group - which included last week's Australian PGA champion Smylie and PGA Tour pro Victor Perez - was put on the clock at the start of the back nine, the wheels flew off for Smith.
The 2022 Open champion was left extremely frustrated at having been put on the clock and it showed as he went on to bogey 10, 12 and 15 before making a disastrous double bogey on 16.
It saw Smith eradicate all of his good early work on the front nine to end up carding a level-par 72.
Smith now lies eight shots off the pace heading into the weekend with his compatriot and LIV Golf peer Lucas Herbert running away with things at 14-under par.
After the round, Smith was asked about his group being put on the clock, and he directly pointed the finger at Smylie, who pipped him to the post at the Australian PGA last Sunday.
Smylie and Smith were also put on the clock during that tournament, too.
Smith seemingly hasn't forgotten about that.
Cameron Smith fuming with playing partner Elvis Smylie
"I don’t get put on the clock too often, I feel like we do a pretty good job, but there is a common denominator there that’s a little bit slower," said a frustrated Smith.
"It’s not something I like because I feel like I’m a pretty fast paced player as it is, so being put on the clock is just another thing. I feel like I did my best to play as quick as I can, and I feel like I’m running around.
"I just made a couple of poor choices. We got on the clock there and it didn’t seem like we were playing that slow, and it felt like we were just rushing. Made some really poor choices mentally, I think, led to a few bogeys. You, kind of, get on that train in that wind and it’s not a good spot to be in."
Smith was then asked if he would speak to Smylie about speeding up his pace of play on the golf course, to which he replied: "It's not my job to..."
He added: "I think there’s better ways to go about that stuff, but that’s another topic."
Elvis Smylie fires back at Cam Smith criticism
The slow play warning most certainly did not disrupt Smylie's game, however, as the talented 22-year-old Australian fired an 8-under 64 to vault into contention for back-to-back wins on the DP World Tour.
Smylie now finds himself at 9-under par in T3 heading into the weekend.
He very much considers Smith one of his idols.
But Smylie also considers their slow play warning in the second round was not all down to him.
"It’s a group thing, it’s not an individual," said Smylie.
"I feel like I do a very good job whenever I am in the position when I have to keep up with the pace of play.
"I did a really good job of just focusing on my own game, especially when we were falling a little bit behind, pace wise. I was just trying to do my best of walking to the ball and making sure I did my routine, process, and go as soon as I was there to keep the pace up.
"I wasn’t really too concerned what Victor and Cam were doing, but 8-under today, I’m really happy with that. It’s definitely catapulted me back up the leaderboard and excited for the next two days."
Smylie added of the slow play warning by tournament officials: "I just got into an assertive speed with it. I still did a really good job of going through my routine and process. But when you are put on the clock, you definitely feel a lot more anxious."
Smith's latest frosty comments come just days after he blasted the course setup at Kingston Heath in Melbourne.
Smith, who recently confirmed his wife Shanel is expecting their first child, described the course as 'soft and slow'.
When Golf Digest's Evin Priest put it to the golfer that that could be attributed to heavy rainfall, Smith snapped back: "That's bull----".
"It's seems there's been a lot of water and it's not exactly what I was expecting," he told the publication.
"The courses are in great condition but playing so much different to how they're designed and how they're meant to be played, which is pretty disappointing.
"I had been keeping an eye on the weather here and I was really excited to play a firm and fast Sandbelt."
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