The 151st Open: Cameron Smith ready for title defence after emotional return of Claret Jug…

Cameron Smith returns as defending champion at The Open after a one-shot victory last year at St Andrews; Australian can become first golfer since Padraig Harrington to win the Claret Jug in successive years; Watch live on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf

Cameron Smith is determined to secure a successful title defence at The 151st Open after being left on the verge of tears by having to return the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool.

The Australian claimed a maiden major title with an impressive victory at St Andrews last July, making five consecutive birdies on the back nine of his final-round 64 to finish a shot clear of Cameron Young.

Smith gave the trophy back to the R&A on Monday ahead of this week’s contest, an experience the 29-year-old admitted was more emotional than he had previously expected.

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The best of the action from a thrilling final round of The 150th Open Championship from St Andrews

“I thought I was going to do all right, but I was actually holding back from tears,” Smith said in a pre-tournament press conference. “A bit of a moment, I guess, that crept up on me.

“I wasn’t like not letting it go. But it was just a bit of a moment that I guess you don’t think about and then all of a sudden it’s there, and, yeah, you want it back.

“I’ve been saying to all my mates, ‘it’ll only be a week and we’ll be drinking out of it again’. You never know, sometimes you can play your best golf at major championships and you can run fourth or fifth. Hopefully it’s another week like last year and I’m back with the trophy.”

Cameron Smith practiced at Royal Liverpool on Saturday

Smith moved to LIV Golf at the conclusion of the PGA Tour season and has claimed two wins on the Saudi-backed circuit, including the event at the Centurion Club earlier this month, with the 29-year-old looking to build on top-10 finishes in his last four major starts.

“I think I’m actually a better golfer now than what I was last year,” Smith added. “I think the stuff that I had to clean up is progressing. It’s still a little bit of a work in progress.

“I said this morning to someone my five-iron and up has always been a bit of a struggle for me, and that’s an area of the game that we’ve worked probably harder than we have on in the past.

“I feel like it’s right there, it just all has to come together. I think the first round I had at Centurion a couple of weeks ago was the first time where I felt like it had all come together, and then the driver, again, wasn’t my best friend on the weekend there.

Cameron Smith claimed a one-shot victory at the LIV Golf event at the Centurion Club earlier this month

“I managed to kind of scramble out a good week, so, yeah, it’s there. It just hasn’t been there for all four rounds. But it feels really close.”

Last year’s winner started the final round in 2022 four strokes behind Rory McIlroy, who finished third after a final-round 70, with Smith open to the idea of a final-round duel between the pair again this week.

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Speaking on the range at Royal Liverpool, Rory McIlroy suggests his focus has already transferred to preparing for The Open less than 24 hours after winning the Scottish Open

“There’s plenty of guys here that given their week can be right up there on Sunday afternoon and I’m sure Rory [McIlroy] will be one of them,” Smith explained.

“He [McIlroy] has played great golf the last few months here. It looked like he finally got one on and it may have opened the floodgates for him for sure. But yeah, it would be a cool story for sure.”

Watch The 151st Open throughout the week exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday July 20 from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf.