The Open champion at St Andrews has become one of the most popular players on the planet in 2022 and will further strengthen the fields of PGA at Royal Queensland and Open played concurrently with the women’s event at Victoria and Kingston Heath.

“I’ve had an unbelievable year and to be coming home to play tournaments is the icing on the cake,” Smith said. “I’m so excited to see friends and family again. Some of them I haven’t seen for years now and once I get to the golf course, I’ve got my eye on some more trophies.”

Smith joins close friend Marc Leishman, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Kiwi Ryan Fox as confirmed players for the Australian PGA to be played November 24-27 in Brisbane.

The following week (December 1-4) the PGA and WPGA Tours of Australasia will join forces on the world famous Melbourne Sandbelt for the triumphant return of the Australian Opens. Leishman, Herbert and Fox will back up when Smith and reigning AIG Women’s Open champion Ashleigh Buhai’s presence will mean the two most recent major winners in world golf are teeing it up at our national Open.

The women’s field will be a star studded affair with Hannah Green headed to Victoria, and Golf Australia magazine understands former World No.1 So Yeon Ryu has also expressed interested in taking a place in the field.

“It will be my first time playing in Melbourne since the 2019 Presidents Cup which was one of the best experiences I’ve had in golf,” Smith said. “The crowds were incredible that week and I’m looking forward to a similar atmosphere at Victoria and Kingston Heath.”

Smith is yet to salute at the Australian Open, but that isn’t the case at the PGA Championship, a tournament he won twice at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast in 2017 and 2018.

His chase for a third Joe Kirkwood Cup to occur at a club he was a member of as a junior having started the game at Wantima Country Club.

“Winning the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in 2017 and 2018 was awesome so to be playing in Queensland again, wearing my maroon shirt on Sunday around Royal Queensland, will be very special.”