Masters golf: Kiwi Ben Campbell replaces Cam Smith at LIV Miami in pre-Masters scare

Ben Campbell will replace Cameron Smith in the final round of the LIV Miami tournament. Photo / Photosport

Australian golfer Cameron Smith has suffered a setback, having to pull out of his final warm-up event with illness just five days before his latest tilt at a Masters green jacket. Kiwi Ben Campbell has been called in to replace Smith for Ripper GC for the final round of this weekend’s LIV Golf tournament in Miami tomorrow morning.

It is Campbell’s debut on the LIV Tour, earning his place as a reserve player following the triumph of his career at last year’s Hong Kong Open, where he birdied the final two holes to beat former champion Smith and take out the title, along with $585,000 in prizemoney.

Smith, who is hoping to continue his fine record at Augusta National when the Masters gets under way next week, faces going into the season’s first major championship somewhat undercooked or, worse still, feeling under the weather when it starts on Friday (NZ time).

The 30-year-old Queenslander’s illness was not disclosed by organisers when confirming his withdrawal on Sunday.

Some reports around the Florida course suggested that Smith had suffered food poisoning and was withdrawing as a precaution but the 2022 British Open champion would definitely be ready for Augusta.

Smith, who captains the all-Australian Ripper GC team on the Saudi-backed tour’s circuit, had endured an underwhelming opening round with a three-over par 75 on Saturday.

Veteran Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, showed his readiness for another tilt at the green jacket next week as he took a two-shot lead at nine-under on Sunday, after shooting a 68.

Garcia led from Talor Gooch (70), Matthew Wolff (69), Dean Burmester (69) and Tyrrell Hatton (67) who were tied second going into the final round.

Withdrawing is a setback for Smith after what has largely been a positive start to his 2024 campaign with two top-10 finishes in his first four events of the year, including a third-place finish at last month’s LIV Hong Kong.

Augusta National remains a happy hunting ground for him too with four top-10 finishes in the past six years, but illness looks to have struck at just the wrong time for the six-time PGA Tour winner and the 2022 Players’ champion, who’s annexed two individual LIV titles since his big-money move.

Smith has now dropped to No 62 in the world rankings, which, controversially, don’t include LIV results but has to be considered one of the favourites at the Masters and is desperate for a big week to help him rise in the rankings in a bid to make Australia’s Olympic team again.