The 23-year-old joins following a standout 2024–25 season that included victory at the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club. The win marked Smylie’s first major statement on home soil and underlined his emergence at the highest level.

Smylie slots into a Ripper GC lineup led by Captain Cam Smith, alongside Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert. Together, the group represents a blend of major championship success, international experience and emerging talent, reinforcing Ripper GC’s position as Australia’s only professional golf team.

“Growing up in Australia, you understand what golf means back home – the history, the mateship, and the pride that comes with representing your country,” Smylie said. “To join Ripper GC, led by my long-term mentor, Cam Smith, at a time when Australian golf is growing the way it is means a lot to me.”

“I’m proud to be part of something that embodies where the game has been, and where it’s going next.”

Smylie’s rise has been swift. A former recipient of the Cam Smith Scholarship, the Queenslander claimed his first professional title at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisement Western Australia Open in late 2024 before securing the Australian PGA Championship a month later. He is also the son of former Australian tennis doubles representative Liz Smylie.

“Signing Elvis is a huge moment, not just for Ripper GC, but for Australian golf,” Smith said. “He represents the next wave of Australian talent coming through at a time when the sport is absolutely booming back home. Elvis has already shown he can win under pressure, compete against world-class fields, and perform on big stages.”

The signing comes amid sustained growth in Australian golf participation, with more than four million Australians playing the game in the past year and continued increases in junior and club membership.

“Cam’s vision has always been to provide a pathway for young Australian golfers to excel on the global stage. Elvis represents the best of all of the young crop of players currently in Australia, and we believe that his playing ability gives us the best chance of success in 2026 as a team,” said Ripper GC General Manager Nick Adams. “We are incredibly excited to have him as part of the group, and we look forward to helping him in his golf journey to become an elite player.”