LIV Golf star Travis Smyth admitted that practising with world No.1 Scottie Scheffler left him demoralised. The reigning champion provided a reality check for Smyth during their trial run around the Royal Birkdale course ahead of The Open.
The Australian is looking to make a statement on Merseyside this weekend and join an illustrous group of golfers to lift the claret jug. However as he navigated the rigours of the links course, he was left to ponder over the quality across the field when he was hitting shots with Scheffler. The 30-year-old romped to victory at Royal Portrush 12 months ago as the American finished four shots clear of the field and nearest challenger Harris English.
Smyth said: “Yeah, yesterday was sweet, playing with Scottie for the first time. Watching the precision of his iron play was amazing. It was kind of demoralising a little bit. It was like, damn, when I play good, I don’t think I have that in me.
“But it was good. It lights a fire in my stomach and makes me want to work hard. Now that I’ve seen what No. 1 in the world looks like, a little bit of a taste [in my mouth]. It was only nine holes, but it was a great experience watching him play.
“He’s a lovely guy, really down to earth, which I’m happy about. He’s not like a d******* or anything. So it was good.”
Reiter likened the process of securing a tee time alongside Scheffler to purchasing concert tickets online, a sentiment Smyth equally related to upon discovering the available slot after checking in. “I got lucky,” he said.
“I booked in right on Saturday or Sunday, and yeah, Tuesday morning I had a look to see who would book in with me, and it was Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns and the other amateur.
“So it was cool. So I’ve played with Cam Smith, Herby, Alex Noren, Scottie, Sam. It’s been amazing so far. It’s really, really good.”
Scheffler went out and delivered a solid two-under in his opening round to establish an early benchmark overnight. His playing partner, Bryson DeChambeau, was a stroke ahead on three-under. The World No.1 teed off in Thursday’s early group, meaning he benefited from more favourable wind and course conditions compared to those competing in the afternoon.
The course was already parched, growing increasingly firm as the day progressed, with players also voicing frustration about bumpy greens in the afternoon owing to the morning group having already traversed them.