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Sport Nation
📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
'I’ve made my bed': Smith turns down offer of PGA Tour return
Sport Nation • January 14th, 2026 10:56 am
Cameron Smith with his caddie Sam Pinfold | Photo: Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire
Australia’s Cameron Smith has rejected the offer of returning to the PGA and will honour his commitment to LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour's new 'Returning Member Program' had opened the door for major and Players Championship winners between 2022 and 2025 to regain their card for immediate return. Only four players qualified for the special one-off exemption: Brooks Kopeka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Smith.
Just 24 hours after Koepka was welcomed back to the tour having maneuvered his way out of his LIV contract, Smith said he would be standing by the Saudi-backed league.
Cameron Smith celebrates winning the Claret Jug at the 2022 Open Championship | Photo: AP
“I’ve made my bed and I’m going to sleep in it,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a really good place in my career and my family life. I don’t need to change it.
“I’m going to stay. I’ve made a decision to come here and I’m standing by it.
"I’m really excited for 2026 and I think our team is going to have one of the best years yet and I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do on the golf course.”
Smith, who captains the all-Australian Ripper GC team and is caddied by New Zealander Sam Pinfold, will play in Adelaide next month.
Bryson DeChambeau on the idea of LIV Golf coming to New Zealand | Sport Nation
DeChambeau and Rahm have also distanced themselves from the possibility of a return to the PGA Tour.
"I'm contracted through 2026, so excited about this year," DeChambeau said in a press conference Tuesday (Wednesday NZ time).
"I'm not planning on going anywhere, so very similar answer to what Bryson gave," Rahm added. "Focused on the league and my team this year."
