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Cameron Smith: FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?

By Tim Letcher

HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 12: Cameron Smith of Australia plays his shot from the 15th tee during the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 12, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
HONOLULU, HAWAII - JANUARY 12: Cameron Smith of Australia plays his shot from the 15th tee during the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on January 12, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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Cameron Smith has plenty of game, but can he contend for this year’s FedEx Cup?

Cameron Smith is not a well-known player on the PGA Tour. The 26-year-old is ranked 35th in the Official World Golf Rankings, but he’s relatively anonymous to casual golf fans.

That doesn’t mean that Smith does not have a strong game. Trust us, he does. In his fifth year on the PGA Tour, the native of Brisbane, Australia, is getting more and more comfortable competing against the world’s best each and every week.

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Smith had a rather unspectacular rookie season in 2016. He played in 24 events and made 13 cuts. He had three top 25 finishes including a season-best tie for 11th place at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He was able to bounce back in 2017 with a much better season, including his first career tour victory. Smith made 26 starts and made 16 cuts, including four top 10s. His first PGA Tour win came at the Zurich Classic when he beat Jonas Blixt, Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown in a playoff. Smith ended that season in 46th place in the FedEx Cup standings.

In 2018, the Aussie made 24 starts and made 18 cuts. He had three third-place finishes and also finished in a tie for fifth at the Masters. He made the playoffs and advanced to the Tour Championship in the process. Smith was 12th in the final FedEx Cup standings that season.

Last year, he took a bit of a step back, making 17 cuts in 23 events, but only registering three top 10s. His best finish was a tie for sixth at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.

This season has gotten off to a good start for Smith. He earned his second PGA Tour victory earlier this season by taking the title at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He also earned a third-place finish at the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges. With those two strong finishes, Smith finds himself in 13th place in the current FedEx Cup standings.

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Smith is a talented young player who is still lacking consistency in his game. If he can get over that hump, he might be able to compete for a FedEx Cup. But for now, he’s a pretender for the 2020 cup.

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