The agony of coming so close to winning the Australian Open last December hasn’t left Cam Smith and will fuel his return home this summer.

Smith has committed to playing in the Open at Kingston Heath and the Australian PGA Championship, which has bene moved from his hometown of Brisbane to The Lakes in Sydney.

A tough year almost ended on the ultimate high for Smith in 2025, beaten into second place on the final hole of the blockbuster Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.

A brilliant up and down from Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen from the thick, long rough in between bunkers next to the 18th green, and a final hole three-putt from Smith left the Queenslander one-shot short of the winner.

It was devastating for Smith and the crowd of 33,408 fans who had packed the sand belt course on the Sunday to see him record his first individual win in over two years, having also missed every major cut in 2025.

But the 2022 Open Championship winner also walked away hoping it would prove a turning point.

There have been glimpses of his best in 2026; two team wins for Ripper GC on the LIV Tour, and a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship. He's also climbed over 200 places on the world rankings, to 134, via four top-10s on LIV, which is now accruing points. 

His quest for a maiden Australian Open win, however, to get his hands on the Stonehaven Cup, remains at the forefront of his mind and with momentum around the tournament itself Smith made it clear how much a win would mean to him.  

“The Australian Open is a tournament I’ve always wanted to win,” he said.

“It’s one of those events that every Australian golfer grows up knowing about and to have the chance to lift the Stonehaven Cup would mean a lot.

“I was so close last year at Royal Melbourne. It definitely left me hungry to come back and try again.

Cam Smith felt the agony of defeat in 2025. Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

“Kingston Heath is an amazing venue and it’s going to be a great test. The course has so much history and rewards smart golf, which makes competing in an Australian Open there even more special.”

Smith said the decision to move the PGA Championship, a tournament he won three times while it was played in Queensland, as “interesting” but was nonetheless excited to test himself around the new venue.  

“I’m very proud to have won the Australian PGA Championship three times and it’s a tournament I always look forward to playing in,” said Smith.

“It’s always a highlight of the year to compete on home soil. The home fans really get behind us and the events we have.

“It’ll be interesting seeing the tournament in Sydney and especially at The Lakes which is such a good test of golf. If the winds get up, it can be a very testing place to play.”

This year’s Australian Open will be played at the Kingston Heath Golf Club from December 3-6.

It will follow the Australian PGA Championship, being played in Sydney for the first time in nearly 30 years, at The Lakes Golf Club from November 26-29.