How Cameron Smith Can Wrap Up $18m LIV Golf Title This Week

Cameron Smith aims to clinch the overall LIV individual title this weekend in Chicago and its $18million bonus if he wins his third event this season.

The Australian pro, 30, is enjoying his most lucrative season yet after claiming his second LIV Golf League event with a dominant seven-shot victory at Bedminster for a $4m win.

It brought his worldwide total prize money in 2023 to $15,248,846 after claiming $13,611,667 on LIV and $1,637,179 across the four Majors and he can now take his earnings to over $30m with another win at Rich Harvest Farms, where he is defending champion.

"I've never won one. Yes, thanks for bringing that up," Smith joked when asked about winning a season-long title for the first time.

"It's hard not to really think about. Kind of wish this tournament had of come a little sooner. Five weeks off; it's hard to say the momentum is really still there.

"It's probably prettying satisfying winning a tournament, but I think a year-long, it means you've done a lot of things right throughout the year and obviously had a good season, so there definitely will be a different sense there.

"But you know, it's what we were all out here to do is to win that season-long title. It would be nice to get the Ripper Team up there in Miami, as well, and hopefully get a double would be nice."

With two tournaments remaining in the regular LIV season, Smith, having won two of the last three events, has a 21-point lead over RangeGoats GC’s three-time winner Talor Gooch, while 4Aces GC’s Patrick Reed sits in third, 50 points behind.

If Smith wins and Gooch finishes outside of the top three, the Australian will wrap up the $18m individual title, which was won by Dustin Johnson last year.

The mullet-wearing Smith, who also won LIV London this summer, has his sights firmly on claiming the season-long individual title after missing out on the FedEx Cup when on the PGA Tour previously.

“I’ve been in the running a couple of times the last couple of years but I don't think I played as consistently,” said Smith, who has finished in the top 10 in six of his 11 LIV events this year. He also posted career-best finishes in the PGA Championship (T-9) and the US Open (fourth).

“It's nice to be able to do that week in week out,” added Smith. “A goal at the start of the year was to be up there with at least a chance at the last event.”

Smith, who won the 150th Open at St Andrews, has 170 points courtesy of claiming 40 in New Jersey. There are just three LIV events remaining starting with Chicago before a stop in Saudi Arabia and the team finale at former PGA Tour host Doral in Miami.

This week's course is a 7,401 par 71 layout located less than an hour outside of Chicago. It previously hosted the 2009 Solheim Cup and will include the “Watering Hole” concept featured at LIV Golf Adelaide.

This will take place at the par-3 17th hole, with amphitheater-style seating from tee to green, a live DJ, player-selected walk-up music, and introductions by legendary Chicago sports public address announcer Ray Clay.