Cam Smith in LIV Golf gripe reverse as defending Open champion fights back the tears

Defending Open champion Cam Smith has let go of his frustration over being quizzed on whether he was joining LIV or not moments after winning last year’s championship.

The Aussie felt his moment in the spotlight at last year's winner's press conference was tarnished slightly by questions about his potential departure to the LIV Golf League. However, within a few weeks he had joined the Saudi-backed breakaway venture, which has since merged with the PGA Tour in a move that shocked the golfing world after a bitter rivalry between the two organisations had rumbled on for months.

Smith insists he has no regrets over making the initial switch. But he’s mellowed on getting an immediate grilling over whether he was going to or not, accepting that it was what everyone wanted to know and that the question was fair enough. "I think it was frustrating at the time, just given the circumstances.

But then I guess looking back on it, it's just a guy just trying to do his job and asked a question that everyone really wanted to know," he said. I don't think there was any part of me that made me think I made the wrong decision throughout any part of the last eight or nine months."

Smith almost admits he got unexpectedly emotional handing back the Claret Jug on arrival at Royal Liverpool where he will go head to head with Rory McIlroy. Last year's winner at St Andrews completed the formalities of ceremonially giving back the trophy to R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers at Hoylake.

"I just had to hand back the trophy there. I thought I was going to do all right but I was actually holding back from tears," he said. A bit of a moment, I guess, that crept up on me."