While acknowledging that his chances of representing Australia in Paris are slim to none, former Olympic golfer Marc Leishman has urged the authorities to make sure Cameron Smith is included in 2024.
Even though the Brisbane star with the mullet is still the top-ranked player in the nation, players on the PGA Tour like Jason Day, Cameron Davis, and Adam Scott are rising.
It is anticipated that only the top two golfers in Australia will compete in the Olympics in Paris, with only those ranked in the top 60 being eligible for selection.
Leishman, who is a member of the LIV Tour and competed with Smith at the Tokyo Games, was adamant that regulations needed to be changed to guarantee his countryman participated in the international showcase.
“It’s very hard for me, I don’t think I’ll be in it, but hopefully they can do something so Cam can play,” said Leishmann before the start of PGA Australian Championships on Friday at Royal Queensland Golf Course.
“Hopefully it doesn’t come off that world rankings, because I think Cam is the pretty clear-cut best Australian golfer at the moment and deserves to be playing in the Olympics.
“Hopefully they can do something so he can get in. It was such an honour to represent Australia at the last Olympics. It was one of the greatest weeks of my life.”
Leishman said he had no regrets about his decision to quit the PGA Tour, even though it eliminated his chances of receiving a reprieve for the Olympics because he is no longer among the world’s top 400.
“It is (a tough price to pay), but I mean we knew [it] when we made the decision,” Leishman said.
“But I think the positives certainly far outweigh the negatives of our decision.”
Leishman supported Jediah Morgan to overcome a drab phase and shine on the main stage prior to the event’s debut.
In 2022, the 23-year-old native of Brisbane stunned the golf world by winning the Australian PGA Championships by a record 11 shots in just his fourth professional start. He also became the tournament’s youngest winner.
Since then, though, he has found it difficult to live up to his lofty expectations; his only top 20 performance came in April when he finished in 17th place in Singapore.
“He obviously didn’t have the year he was after, but we all saw how he can play at the Australian PGA,” He said.
“I mean, when I was 23 I wasn’t even on tour yet – I was still kicking around on the mini tours and putting in the hard yards.
“Now he’s had the carrot dangled in front of him he knows what there is and how much fun it was and how rewarding it was.
“I’ve got no doubt he’s going to get back. He’s got so much talent and a great personality and mindset to go along with it, so I’m not too worried about Jed.”
