The 2022 British Open winner and former world number two has been at the forefront of leading professional Australian golfers supporting a resurgence of the Australian summer and is part of a star-studded field headlined by current world number two Rory McIlroy, who has been booked to play at the Melbourne-based showcase event in both 2025 and 2026 for a undisclosed seven-figure appearance fee.
Smith, McIlroy and other leading contenders such as David Puig, Min Woo Lee, Joaquin Niemann and Adam Scott will be fighting it out for a $2m purse at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Cheltenham, Victoria, one week after Puig took home a cool $425,000 for shooting -18 in Brisbane last weekend.
Smith, who along with Niemann made an early exit last week, has now missed seven consecutive cuts at PGA or DP World Tour events, unwillingly claiming an unwanted title as the only man to have missed the cut in all four majors this year.
The 32-year-old admitted last weekend that he has been left stunned by his sharp drop in major event form since joining the LIV Golf circuit.
"I don't know, I just don't know. I was so confused," Smith said.
"I was feeling good, really confident and just couldn't get anything going. It was weird. It can definitely get in your head, I think it is in my head."
Speaking to reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday morning, Smith reiterated he feels good about his practice but has not been able to transfer it over into tournament play.
"I didn’t play my best golf (last week), but it does honestly feel like it’s right… It’s just there," Smith explained.
"It’s super frustrating. I can’t describe the feeling, it feels defeating to be honest. It feels like I’m right on the cusp of where I should be and not really getting anything out of it.
"I just need to keep doing what I’m doing, keep working hard and keep at it. It’s a frustrating game. I understand that people through their career go through ups and downs but a person’s career doesn’t get defined on a season or an event."
"If everything comes together there’s no reason why I can’t be out there competing (this weekend)," Smith replied when asked if he believes he can win the Australian Open.
"Like I said, the game feels good. Hit balls on the range. You go around the chipping green, get on the putting green and everything feels great. It’s just hasn’t seemed to gel on the golf course.
"I feel like I’ve had events this year where I’ve hit my irons really good, I’ve putted really good, but it hasn’t kind of all come together as one.
"So yeah, I guess I’m not waiting. I’m trying to get there, but I guess I’m waiting for it to just all kind of sync up and come together. Yeah, it’s been frustrating."
Flashscore will have a live leaderboard across all four days of the 2025 Australian Open.