The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Cam Smith on LIV vs. PGA, DeChambeau’s “Intimidating” Power, Jon Rahm’s Incredible Consitency

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

Colin is joined by LIV Golf star Cam Smith! Colin begins by asking Cam about what he misses most about his home country of Australia while on tour in the states (4:30). He pivots to golf and asks about the mental part of the game and what Cam attributes his struggles to and the challenges of changing his swing (6:00).  They discuss the rowdier nature of the environment at LIV events and whether it was a difficult adjustment and Cam’s involvement in getting kids involved in playing golf (7:30). They talk about the global nature of the LIV Tour and whether Cam grew up wanting to play on the PGA Tour (9:45). Cam discusses being starstruck by Jason Day early in his career and how intimidating it was, and why the Asian countries are flying under the radar as great golf destinations (11:00). Colin quizzes Cam on the golf game of stars like and he highlights the consistency of Jon Rahm, the improvisation skills of Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy’s incredible drives (13:00). They discuss the mended fences between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, and whether Bryson is intimidating to play with due to his power (16:15). Finally, they discuss the huge crowds at LIV events and the energy that can provide to the golfers (18:00). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.

you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel. Help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to deep cover the family man on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcasts.

Turn someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio. Non-stop workout music and expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight. When your hardest hit, it's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Don't quit.

Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets momentum. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free. Have a great day. I heart radio. Volume. Golf as a winner takes all decider, and it's happening this weekend at St. John's Resort in Beautiful Michigan. The Live Golf Team Championship is absolutely on the line. Twelve international squads battling to settle the entire season and one weekend of survive at advanced golf.

It's a lot of fun. The teams represent six continents, include no fewer than 14 major championships. It's a global event. Notable players include Brian. Jason DeShambeau, Phil Mickelson, Spain's John Rom, Australia's Cam Smith. Fans also get a chance to enjoy the biggest party to live golf season. It will be the biggest party with two iconic acts dropping in to headline the post-round shows. Imagine Dragons. Yep, Imagine Dragons.

It's going to play Saturday right after golf before Swedish House Mafia close out the weekend Sunday at 7 p.m. It is a great time. At St. John's Resort, one of America's boldest new resorts built on the side of the old Catholic seminary, St. John spans 24,000 square feet. It's won the AAA 4 Diamond Award big time course. So I got to ask you, years ago, the people that own my company are Australian, the Murdox. And years ago, I asked Lachlan. I said, hey, Lachlan, because I lived in Manhattan Beach, California. I said, you know, I always wanted to go to Australia. And he said, well, you live in Manhattan Beach. It's the same weather. He said, I'm like, I'm like.

really? He didn't hard sell Australia. And I'm like, it shattered my, I know, it shattered my dreams of. So when you are, because you obviously, to our audience, you were a young phenom, you come up through their system. For somebody that has never been to Australia, there are obviously similarities in our democracy. What is the one thing when you're in the States that you're like, oh, mate, I miss home. What do you miss? Because California and Australia have some similarities. Yeah, absolutely they do. He's probably not too far off with the weather, to be fair.

California is a beautiful place, obviously. Beaches, Australia, the beaches are really nice. There is a lot of similarities. But I guess the one thing for me would be probably coffee and beer. Like, I feel like that fit. To be honest. But we have some amazing places. Obviously, the Great Barrier Reef, I've traveled up there a bunch, one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Yeah, but, I mean, the first thing I do when I land in Australia is I'll go get a nice coffee and then probably later that afternoon, have a nice gold beer. You know what? That's good living, Cam. I can tell you right now, that is good living. So when you came to the live tour, I've always thought it's a good living. I've always thought it's interesting. And I talked about this a couple of weeks ago with a member of the tour. I said, if a player on the live tour struggles, invariably, everybody goes, well, it's the money.

That's what it did. And I'm like, no, it's golf. I watched David Duval's career collapse, Ian Baker-Finch. I watched Greg Norman, who was arguably the best player in the world, forget how to golf in the back nine of the masters. Golf is different. It is a game of a slower tempo. there's a lot of time to get into your head. So when you've had recent struggles,

everybody's going to point to the live money. And I'm like, that's an easy out. Because golfers struggle outside of Tiger Woods for 10 years. All golfers have streaks. So with your struggles, what do you think it is? You know, at the end of last year, I really did a lot of hard work on my swing. And I feel like if you looked at

22 Cameron Smith and 2025 Cameron Smith on the range, you would say that 2025 Cameron Smith is a better golfer than 2022. Just technically and maybe looks wise, but it's just been a hard year to commit

and like you say, between shots, you have so much time to think, you know, is this the right thing? Am I doing the right thing? And then maybe through reps, it's got better as the season's going on. Yeah. But just committing to a thought or, you know, I changed a fair bit technically. So I feel like this in the long run is the right thing to do.

But it has been a little bit of a struggle this year for sure. So, you know, the tour had the Phoenix open. There's the Ryder Cup. It's not like golf's never been rowdy. Not everything is Augusta. So when I went to my first lived tour event in Chicago, I thought it was just, So I like new stuff. And between the merch sales, there was lines around the block, the crowd was younger, the access.

I mean, I'm like Phil Mickelson, Brooks Kepka, Sergio, they're like, I can touch them. When you, and maybe Australian junior golf is rowdier. It's a rowdy country. People like their beer and their beach and their, you know, their good times. Did it, was it an adjustment to the access fans have? to the volume, to the music, as a professional golfer, was that a pivot for you? Was it a difficult change, or did it come easy?

It definitely was a little bit of a change, to be honest. But, you know, at the time I come over, I was playing some pretty handy golf. So everything felt kind of easy, to be honest. You know, I felt like I could have gone somewhere else and played really good golf. And I think what we're doing is really cool. the access, as you mentioned,

you know, selfishly in Australia, we're doing lots of good things with the little rippers. We have junior golf programs and Gulf Australia has been really helpful and being on our side and getting a lot of that stuff prepped up. So, yeah, it's been awesome, mate. You know, I think for me,

the best thing we can do as professional golfers is get more clubs in the kids, hands. And I feel like we're going the right way about it out here. It's fun. The kids love to come back. We've got the fan zone out there. Kids are putting as we're playing next to them. So it's really cool. So the Live Tour is more global than the PGA tour, which I like. I think golf's an individual sport. As somebody born in Australia, and now, Live is global so it fits. But how did you view the PGA? when you were 14, 50, how did you view the PGA

or would you have been happy being Australia's you were first or second best golfer? Like did you immediately at eight years old look at Amering and say, that's where I'm going to play? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that was, you know, growing up, I'm watching guys like Jason Day

and Adam Scott and Tiger, of course. That's where I wanted to be. But that was because, who's all the best players were playing there, and it was really the only place you could play. Yeah, so absolutely I wanted to be in the US, play on the PGA tour, and, you know, be the best golfer I could be.

But like I mentioned, it was the only option at that point. Who was the first American golf star in an event you played with, and what was the experience like? Were you nervous? Was it like, oh, I've watched him on TV for years? Go to your first event that you played with a star. Jeez, I can't even remember. Oh, geez.

I think one of my first PGA tour events was maybe the Pebble Beach Pro Amble. I can't remember who I played with. You know, I knew Jason a fair bit by then. He was probably, you know, the first. Yeah, Jason Day. Yeah, Jason Day. He was probably the first guy that I spent a fair bit of time around. and went, wow, this guy is so much better than me.

I've got so much work to do. But I was probably only 21, 22 years old, and he was at kind of the peak of his career. He was playing some amazing golf when I come on tour. Yeah, but he was probably the first guy that I really got kind of starstruck around. And then, you know, as time went on, you play with different guys. And, you know, you've grown up your whole life watching him. Yeah, but Jason was definitely the first guy.

I was like, holy shit, I'm so bad at golf. Well, I mean, I always tell my kids, life's about reaction, not action. So you obviously, you know, you have to kind of go home and not sulk and kind of figure it out. Are there courses for you, you know, as you travel around the world? And I've asked live players this before. I'm just now becoming addicted to golf. Is there a country... I know.

It's tormenting. Is there a country that you look at and think is underrated, that you look at the courses and you look at the young players? Is there a place in this globe that maybe is fairly new to you and you think it has an incredibly promising future in the sport? I would say Asia. you know, Asia as a continent. I don't think there's one kind of country that really stands out. You know, every golf course that we've gone to in Asia has been phenomenal. That's what I hear.

Yeah, not only the design and stuff like that, but just their practice facilities, you know, they're so excited as well to have you there. It's such a cool place. But I would say, I would say for sure, in the next 10, 20, 20 years. That's the place I'd look to to where I think the most good golfers are going to come out of, you know, there's a fair few in Australia as well. South Africa, we're going on there next year. I'm looking forward to getting there. You know, there are places where good golfers have come kind of regularly, but I think we'll see the biggest influx in Asia for sure.

I'm going to give you a golfer and you give me a sentence as if I've never seen them play. I've never seen them play and I want you to describe their greatness. John wrong. I mean, he's incredible. It feels like when you're playing against him, when you're up near the lead,

when you're in contention with him, it feels like you have to do everything perfect to beat him. That's drive the ball, chip the ball, you know, approach everything. It feels like he doesn't, let up, he doesn't miss a shot. He's so consistent. You know, like out here he's had,

I think every start he's had like a top 10, you know, which is a crazy thing. People might not think that that's hard, but it's hard. I would say just incredibly consistent, persistent as well, like doesn't let up. And he's a fighter too. You know, when he's on his heels,

you know, more often than not, he comes out on top. An older guy, but one of my favorite players ever, Phil Mickelson. I've never seen him play. Describe Phil Nicholson. A crazy golfer, to be honest. I've played with Phil a lot, particularly the last, you know, five or six years. You know, I've played with him when he stripes the ball, hits everything perfect, does all the right stuff.

And I've played with him where he hits it offline, he sees miraculous. of shots and gets up and down and kind of keeps the momentum going. He's definitely a momentum guy. Once he gets on a string of birdies, it seems like he's not going to stop. But a completely different golfer to John Rahm in that, yeah, he kind of hits it everywhere and like gets it done. He's crazy. He's the great chef that spills a few things, but he's still great. Yeah, absolutely. Right. Rory McElroy. Rory's the most

impressive driver of the golf ball I've ever seen. I don't think I'll ever see. I don't think anyone could ever be better than him off the tea. Again, just does all the right stuff. Hits it in the right places. A very, he can be very dominant

when he's on I feel like he's very, very tough to be. You know, Bryce and DeCambo is, he looks like a football player, and he's got kind of a crazy personality. I didn't like him when he initially came on the tour. I thought he was obnoxious. And then something happened. And two years later, I, you know, I was always a Brooks Kepka guy,

and now I love them both. And reportedly, they've mended fences, which makes me happy because I think they're really great. That's what I've heard. So first of all, can you confirm that they now speak? They're okay. Oh, yeah, yeah, they're okay. Okay, they're okay.

Okay, Cam's reporting that. Yeah. Is Bryson intimidating just because of a sheer stature and size when you golf with him? What is it like to golf with him? Yeah, he can be intimidating. Again, he can get the driver going as well. For me, I would say I'm a kind of average kind of length guy. I don't hit the ball.

too short, I don't hit it too far. He can just overpower golf courses like no one else can. And it can be quite intimidating, but I don't think I don't think there's a golf course he can play that necessarily I can't play

if that makes sense. Sure. But yeah, he can get that driver going. It's pretty crazy. You know, sometimes he's 70, 80, 90 yards ahead of you and it's pretty demoralizing, to be honest. Finally, I was in Chicago.

The indie crowds were double Chicago. I expect the Michigan crowds to be huge. Are you aware of that? Like in basketball, the crowd is on you. But in golf, are you aware of the gallery size? Does it make a difference? Is it energizing? Yeah.

I think you get a certain sense of energy from the crowd. You know, last week was really cool. The golf course was kind of really narrow. Yep. And the crowd almost felt on top of you. We have a few events like that. Hong Kong is one of them. Adelaide is one of them where it feels like you can't get away.

And it brings a certain type of energy, particularly when they're ramped up, you know, particularly when you're in contention and there's a lot of Yahooing and all the other stuff. But, yeah, indie was great last week. I can't wait for this week. This golf course is one of the best condition golf courses I've ever played. It's amazing.

The format is cool this week. Match play. There will be a ton of birdies. It'll be really fun to watch. Yeah, Michigan's a beautiful state. I don't know how familiar you are with it, but it's got great golf. You know, you've really gotten that Midwest swing. You get a little humidity in the Midwest.

It can get, like, in the end, it gets like, it can get a little hot. It was hot in Chicago. Yeah. Indy last week was hot too. Way hotter than I expected. The Midwest can get a little warm, but I'll tell you what, Midwest in America, those sports fans, there are none better, man. They love their sports.

And they like their beer as much as you like your Aussie beer, my friend. I can assure you that. Cam Smith, hey, I appreciate you stopping by and giving us 50 minutes. I really do. Yeah, no worries, mate. Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it. The volume.

Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick, and guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it.

We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite.

on Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their Between Songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation.

I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio, non-stop workout music. and expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome help and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight.

When your heart is hit, it's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Don't quit. Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets momentum. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free. Have a great day. IHeart Radio. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.