⛳️ Smith Signs With Saudi-Backed Golf Series

Spring's almost here, it's Wednesday, 31 August. Well, it's officially official: Cameron Smith is off to join the LIV Golf Tour with Phil, Sergio and DJ. It's not like we weren't warned but it's still a bit of a shock. Let's break down what it means and get your thoughts on the move.

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👀 Cracking goal, innit?

THE MAIN GAME

⛳️ LIV Golf locks in Aussie ace

After weeks of speculation, the news we've all been expecting was finally confirmed last night - Cameron Smith and his glorious mullet are joining Greg Norman's LIV Golf Tour.

Golden points: Smith was one of 6 players announced last night that will compete at this week's LIV Golf event in Boston, effectively ending their PGA Tour careers for now.

• Smith, fellow Aussie March Leishman, Harold Varner III, Joaquín Niemann, Cameron Tringale and Anirban Lahiri are the 6 players to defect to LIV Golf and once they tee off on Friday the PGA Tour will ban them from competing on its tour.

• Smith has been linked to joining LIV Golf since he won The Open (aka British Open) last month and has continually refused to answer if the speculation was true.

• While there was nothing official, Australian golfer Cameron Percy pretty much confirmed Smith's defection when he told Melbourne radio that word around the dressing room was that Smith was "gone".

• Reports say Smith is getting upwards of $145 million as a signing fee and could rake in millions more with enormous prize money on offer for the rest of the season.

• It's a blow to the PGA Tour because Smith is the #2-ranked men's golfer in the world and the 1st player to join LIV at the peak of their powers. But that ranking will drop pretty quickly because LIV events don't earn ranking points.

• In response to LIV poaching its players, the PGA Tour has bumped up the prize money and has received guarantees from the "top" players they'll take part in at least 20 events next season.

• Smith will likely still be able to play at some of the majors and the Australian events he's committed to this summer, but he'll be ruled out of the President's Cup and tournaments like the Players Championship, which he won this year.

They said it: "LIV Golf is showing the world that our truly global league is attracting the world’s best players and will grow the game into the future for the next generation," - Norman sounds stoked to get Smith.

What's next: The Boston Invitational starts on Friday, about 2 weeks before the next PGA Tour season begins. Here's the full field of players competing at Boston for a prize pool of $51 million.

QUICK SINGLES

🎾 Tennis: Serena Williams' farewell tour rolls on to the 2nd round of the US Open. Williams beat world #80 Danka Kovinic 6-3 6-3 yesterday to advance to the 2nd round where she'll play #2 seed Anna Kontaveit. That match will be on Wednesday morning (AEST), as will the 2nd round match between France's Benjamin Bonzi and Aussie Nick Kyrgios after he beat best bud Thanasi Kokkinakis yesterday. Kyrgios called it a "nightmare" playing his great mate but now they'll team up together for the men's doubles.

🏉 NRL: Just the 10 players rested for Penrith this weekend against the Cowboys. With the minor premiership locked up, the Panthers have rested 10 of their starting side (and 2 players are out injured as well) to be ready for the finals starting next week when they also get back gun halfback Nathan Cleary from suspension. It's a boost for the Cowboys because they need to win and hope the Sharks lose so they can finish 2nd and host a final next week.

🏉 AFL: Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe has gone down with another injury. Fyfe strained his hamstring at Dockers training and will miss this Saturday's elimination final against the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium. It's been a tough year for Fyfe who has played only 7 games due to injury. The Dockers are hopeful Fyfe will feature at some stage in the finals.

🏎 Motorsport: Lee Holdsworth is parking his 17-year career as a full-time Supercars driver. Holdsworth started back in 2004 and has won 4 races in more than 500 starts in the V8 Supercars. He didn't have a ride all last year until he got called up to partner Chaz Mostert for the Bathurst 1000 and wouldn't you know it, they won the great race. Holdsworth, 39yo, says he's going to spend more time with his family but hopes to keep going as a co-driver at the big races like Bathurst.

🏏 Cricket: Aussie allrounder Mitch Marsh is out for the rest of the Zimbabwe ODI series with a "minor" ankle injury. That's what the Australian men's team are calling Marsh's setback, which is bad enough for him to fly home and miss the remaining 2 matches against Zimbabwe and the 3 against New Zealand in Cairns starting next week. Marsh was the player of the final in last year's T20 World Cup and looks to be a big part of their plans for the next T20 World Cup in October here in Australia. CA expects him to be right for next month's T20 tour of India.

LEFT OF FIELD

🏉 AFL: Things are pretty tense right now around finals time so it's easy to see why Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan didn't see the funny side when a dog interrupted his training session yesterday. TV cameras picked up the dog darting around the Gabba and being patted by the players as Fagan was caught sending a few choice words to the dog's owner, who turns out to be his boss, Lions CEO Greg Swann. The Lions play the Tigers at the Gabba tomorrow night in an elimination final and the last thing two clubs with cats as their mascots need is a dog interfering.

📽 Highlight reel: Goals don't get much sweet than this from Crystal Palace's Wilfred Zaha this morning against Brentford.

📸 Photo finish: 1st it was Shaq, now it's internet sensation/brawler Hasbulla Magomedov that's been snapped wearing some South Sydney Rabbitohs merch. Hasbulla visited Souths yesterday and knocked out more than one bunny.

THE POLLING BOOTH

Tuesday's result: 68.29% say collecting sports memorabilia is a waste of money

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• 🎾 9:00am - US Open - Hijikata v Nadal - Flushing Meadows, New York - 9gem, 9now, Stan Sport

• 🏏 9:40am - Cricket - Australia v Zimbabwe, 2nd ODI - Riverway Stadium, Townsville - Foxtel, Kayo

• ⚾️ 11:30am - MLB - Giants v Padres - Oracle Park, San Francisco - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

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