Smith is part of a nine-strong Australian congregation to gather in golf’s grandest cathedral, the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland to absorb the attention of almost the entirety of the golf world this week.

Even before he ran down Rory McIlroy at St Andrews in 2022, Smith spoke of how his performance at Portrush had convinced him that an Open Championship was in the realm of possibility.

“That was basically the first time I’d ever played really decent golf in the UK,” Smith said in Aussies At The Open on the back of his tie for 20th at Portrush in 2019.

“I do now feel like it is a championship I can win. Definitely at the start I didn’t think it was.

“My mindset has definitely changed on The Open.”

Joined by Ripper GC teammates Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert in Portrush for the 2025 edition, Smith reiterated those thoughts ahead of a Round 1 tee time alongside Marco Penge and Justin Hastings.

“Years of trying to get something out of it and never really got anything out of it type of thing,” Smith said of his early frustration at The Open.

“This was really the first time I ever played well on a links course and I think I just went back to simplifying it.

“I was trying to play a little bit too links-style I guess before that and just went back to what we normally do, and it worked.

“That’s when I fell in love with links golf; before that I was pulling my hair out.”

Given his year on LIV Golf to date, it’s a shock Smith’s iconic mullet has remained intact.

Adamant that the work away from the golf course is as productive as it ever has been, Smith admits it has been challenging to transfer it to the golf course.

“It’s been a really frustrating year,” said Smith.

“Everything feels good, particularly on the range on the putting green and stuff like that. I just have struggled to take it to the course.

“I feel like I’m getting more confidence and committing to more shots and maybe hitting the shot that I don’t necessarily feel comfortable with, but the right shot. That’s when I play my best.

“I don’t think much has been able to click from kind of practise to tournament play and it’s not from lack of hard work. I think it’s just been lack of commitment out on the golf course.

“I can’t remember really the last time I’ve ever had an issue with that. It’s kind of been a bit weird, but swing feels good, looks good. I just need to go out there and actually do it.”

Smith will be the first of the Aussies to tee off on Thursday at 3:57pm AEST, followed shortly thereafter by Jason Day (4:08pm), New Zealand Open champion Ryan Peake (4:19pm) and Lucas Herbert (4:52pm).

Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images

Round 1 tee times AEST

The 153rd Open Championship
Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland
3:57pm            Cameron Smith
4:08pm            Jason Day
4:19pm            Ryan Peake
4:52pm            Lucas Herbert
6:25pm            Ryan Fox (NZ)
8:26pm            Marc Leishman
8:58pm            Daniel Hillier (NZ)
9:09pm            Adam Scott
9:20pm            Elvis Smylie
11:37pm          Min Woo Lee
1:05am            Curtis Luck

Recent champion: Xander Schauffele
Past Aussie winners: Peter Thomson (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965), Kel Nagle (1960), Greg Norman (1986, 1993), Ian Baker-Finch (1991), Cameron Smith (2022).
Prize money: $US17m
TV times: Live Thursday and Friday 3:30pm-5:30am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Saturday 7pm-11:15pm Fox Sports 505 and Kayo. Saturday 11pm-5am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 6pm-4am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR
Barracuda Championship
Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood), Truckee, California
11:56pm          Aaron Baddeley
12:29am*         Cam Davis
1:13am*           Jason Scrivener

Recent champion: Nick Dunlap
Past Aussie winners: Geoff Ogilvy (2014), Greg Chalmers (2016)
Prize money: $US4m
TV times: Live 8am-11am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 8am-11am Sunday on Fox Sports 506; Live 8am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.

Korn Ferry Tour
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Missouri
10:22pm          Rhein Gibson
5:06am*           Harry Hillier (NZ)

Recent champion: Matt McCarty
Past Aussie winners: Anthony Painter (1998), Cameron Percy (2014)
Prize money: $US1m

HotelPlanner Tour
German Challenge
Wittelsbacher Golfclub, Neuburg an der Donau, Germany
4:20pm*          Danny List
8:40pm            Tom Power Horan
9:10pm            Sam Jones (NZ)

Recent champion: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000

Epson Tour
Casella Golf Championship
Pinehaven Country Club, Guilderland, New York
Australasians in the field: Su Oh, Jess Whitting

Recent champion: Lauren Stephenson
Past Aussie winners: Lindsey Wright (2003), Sarah Jane Smith (2008), Breanna Elliott (2015)
Prize money: $US200,000

LET Access Series
Islantilla Open
Islantilla Golf Resort, Spain
5:15pm*          Belinda Ji
5:35pm*          Kristalle Blum
5:45pm*          Justice Bosio
10pm*             Abbie Teasdale
10:10pm          Stephanie Bunque

Recent champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €100,000