Cameron Smith's Masters Hopes Alive After Fighting 71
Reigning Open Champion Battles Through Illness to Remain in Contention
Cameron Smith, the reigning Open champion and highest-ranked player in the Masters field representing the LIV Golf League, found himself on the leaderboard after the first round at Augusta National Golf Club. Despite battling the lingering effects of an untimely bout of food poisoning, Smith ground out a fighting one-under-par 71 to keep his Masters dream alive.
Smith, who is making his eighth Masters appearance, has top-10 finishes in four of the past six years at Augusta. He is one of the favorites to win this year's tournament, and his performance in the first round suggests that he is ready to challenge for the green jacket.
Smith started his round with a birdie on the first hole, but he gave the shot back with a bogey on the second. He then made another birdie on the fourth hole and played the rest of the front nine in par for a one-under 35.
The back nine was more of a struggle for Smith, as he made bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes. However, he bounced back with a birdie on the 15th hole and parred the rest of the way to finish with a one-under 71.
Smith's performance in the first round was a testament to his toughness and determination. Despite not feeling his best, he was able to grind out a solid round and put himself in contention for the Masters.
"I'm just really happy to be here and playing in the Masters," Smith said. "I'm feeling a lot better today than I did yesterday, and I'm just going to take it one day at a time and see what happens."
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