Cameron Smith’s struggles continued as he missed the cut for the seventh consecutive time, shooting a four-over 75 at the Royal Queensland Golf Club. The three-time Australian PGA champion began the second round on the projected cut line at two under par but faltered after early opportunities to score. Despite having chances for birdies, he left two putts on the lip of the cup and fell below the cut line after a bogey on the 11th hole.
The situation worsened for Smith as he missed par putts on the 13th and 14th holes. He briefly revived hopes with an eight-foot birdie on the 17th hole, but a missed green on the 18th, followed by a three-putt for a double-bogey, sealed his fate. Finishing the round at two over par, Smith found himself far from the leaders, who included early clubhouse leader Brett Rankin, alongside Kazuma Kobori, Wenyi Ding, and Anthony Quayle, all sitting at nine under par.
Despite a double-bogey on his penultimate hole, Rankin’s score of seven under through 18 holes earned him the clubhouse lead. He was later joined by Min Woo Lee, the 2023 champion, who made six birdies before a bogey on the last hole left him one shot back. Other contenders included Cameron Davis, Daniel Hillier, Marc Leishman, and Marco Penge, all at seven under, while Ryan Fox dropped three late shots to finish at five under.
Adam Scott, at six under, managed a long birdie putt on the 17th, while defending champion Elvis Smylie rallied to make the cut at two under. In contrast, European players Joaquín Niemann and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen faced challenges, finishing at even par and five over, respectively.
Smith’s performance marked one of the lowest points of his professional career at Royal Queensland. In 2023, he struggled to a seven-over-par 78 on the same day, leaving him in tears. However, he returned the following year to finish as the runner-up and later lost in a playoff at the Saudi International. Despite his past successes, including being a former world No. 2 and the 2022 Open Championship winner, Smith has now missed the cut at all four majors this year and is approaching a winless streak of nearly two-and-a-half years ahead of the upcoming Australian Open.
In contrast to Smith’s difficulties, playing partner Min Woo Lee thrived, showcasing his skills with a confident performance. Davis displayed no signs of rust in his first tournament since an early exit from the PGA Tour in August. Leishman, who had a thrilling round, chipped in for eagle from a bunker and took aggressive shots that set him up for birdies, all while expressing his commitment to entertaining the crowd.
“We’re golfers and entertainers,” Leishman stated. “I really enjoy entertaining, whether it’s a driver off the deck or a cool, spinning bunker shot. I’m battling the whole time and trying to take it on to get to a lot of the pins that some people can’t.” With the competition heating up, the focus now shifts to the Australian Open, where players will aim to capitalize on their momentum.
