⛳️ Smith Can't Stop LIV Links

Good morning, it's Thursday, 11 August. Just before we sent today's newsletter, Nick Kyrgios defeated world #1 men's player Daniil Medvedev in the 2nd round of the Montreal Open. So to celebrate the win, we give you a jam-packed newsletter with a bit of golf, cricket, Aussie Rules and rugby league. It's a winner, just like Kyrgios, so let's get into it.

⏱ 1382 words = 7 minutes

👀 Now that's a catch!

THE MAIN GAME

⛳️ Cameron Smith looks set to LIV it up

Australia's best men's golfer Cameron Smith has reportedly signed up for Greg Norman's rebel LIV Golf tour, but the man himself ain't sayin' nuthin'.

Golden points: A report in The Telegraph says Kyrgios has signed with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour for $143 million. That's a lot of Titleists.

• Fellow Aussie golfer Cameron Percy has also said both Smith and Marc Leishman have "gone" to LIV Golf, but Percy later backtracked and said that's what he's been hearing in the locker room.

• We hadn't heard from Smith until he spoke ahead of the 1st FedEx Cup Playoffs tournament in Memphis, Tennessee this week and he didn't clear much up.

• When he was asked if the reports were true, Smith didn't deny anything. He said all he's focused on is winning the FedEx Cup Playoffs - a 3-tournament event for only the season's best PGA Tour players with $26 million up for grabs.

• What he did confirm is that if there is any news about his future you'll hear it from him and not online reports or Cameron Percy.

• So we know Smith will play out the PGA Tour season, and he says he's committed to playing the President's Cup team tournament in late September, but that's about it.

• The reason why this is such a big deal is that Smith is the #2 men's golfer in the world and if he signed he would be the highest-ranked player with LIV Golf.

• He's also Australian, and there are reports Norman wants to form an all-Aussie team and play future tournaments Down Under. This thing really is hitting close to home!

They said it: "I’m a man of my word and whenever you guys need to know anything it will be said by me," Smith sets the record straight, sorta.

What's next: The 1st of the 3 FedEx Cup Playoffs tournaments tees off tonight at TPC Southwind from 10:15pm AEST, with coverage on Foxtel and Kayo from 5am tomorrow.

QUICK SINGLES

🏏 Cricket: Aussie women's skipper Meg Lanning is having a spell from the game. Lanning said yesterday she's going to have an indefinite break from the game to focus on herself after a pretty hectic couple of years. Under Lanning's leadership, Australia has won the T20 and 50-over World Cups, the Women's Ashes and the Commonwealth Games gold medal in the past 2.5 years. Australia's next series is a tour to India in December, with the WBBL to come before that.

🏀 Basketball: The ultimate comeback is almost complete for champion Aussie basketball player Lauren Jackson. She was named in the Australian Opals' 12-member squad for next month's World Cup in Sydney. Jackson hasn't played for Australia since 2013 and had been retired for 6 years, but now that her knees are feeling better she's back in the Aussie squad as a 41yo. The Hall of Famer even shed a tear when she got the call-up. Watch it here and good luck not shedding a tear yourself.

🏏 Cricket: Kiwi swing king Trent Boult is also taking a spell, but this one might be for good. Boult has been released from his central contract with New Zealand Cricket so he can spend more time with his family and less time touring with the national team. It means he can still be picked for New Zealand but his spot will likely go to a contracted player while he travels the world playing shorter T20 tournaments that pay the big bucks.

🏉 AFL: Ben Cunnington will make his comeback this week for North Melbourne after two bouts of testicular cancer. Cunnington hasn't played since Round 19 last year and has suffered setback after setback, but he's all good now and will play the Crows in Adelaide this Saturday arvo. Emotions overflowed when interim coach Leigh Adams told the team 'Cunners' was back and it was all filmed, so check it out here.

⚽️ Football: Good news for football fans with the World Cup set to start a day earlier than originally planned. The match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador that was meant to be the 3rd game of the 2022 World Cup, but there's been a proposal to make it the 1st match to keep up the tradition of the hosts or holders of the World Cup taking part in the opening match. If approved, the World Cup will start on Sunday, 20 November.

🏉 AFL: With their finals hopes on the line, Carlton is appealing Patrick Cripps' 2-match ban. Cripps, perhaps Carlton's best player, was suspended for 2 matches for his bump on Brisbane's Callum Ah Chee at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night, ruling him out of the rest of the regular season. But the Blues will appeal the result needing to win at least one of their last 2 matches - against the Demons and Magpies - to make the finals.

LEFT OF FIELD

⚾️ Baseball: Keys. Phone. Wallet. The 3 things you make sure you have when you leave home. Maybe throw in a face mask just in case. While those are necessities for everyday life, you don't need them playing professional baseball. Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Rodolfo Castro forgot to check his pockets when he went out to bat yesterday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. As he slid into third base, his phone popped out of his back pocket, and as you can imagine, the internet lost its mind. Using phones or any kind of tech is strictly banned in baseball, but Castro says it was all an unintentional mistake. If anything, it's a great advertisement for his phone case - no damage at all!

📽 Highlight reel: This catch in the MLB was incredible this morning, but we gotta take points off for the use of a glove, so check out this screamer from West Indies cricketer Shimron Hetmyer. One hand, no glove, your highlight of the day.

📸 Photo finish: The Men's T20 World Cup is coming to Australia this October and the trophy made a quick stopover in Uluru this week with burly players Scott Boland and Shane Watson there to guard it.

THE POLLING BOOTH

Wednesday's result: A whopping 92.94% hated the backwards cap look of NBA star Kelly Olynyk on his wedding day

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING (THAT'S NOT THE COMM GAMES)

• ⚾️ 12:00pm - MLB - Red Sox v Braves - Fenway Park, Boston - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 7:50pm - NRL - Panthers v Souths - BlueBet Stadium, Penrith - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• ⛳️ 5:00am (Friday) - Golf - St Jude Championship - TPC Southwind, Memphis - Foxtel, Kayo

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