Tournament drawcard Cameron Smith is no certainty to play at next year's Australian Open, with the superstar golfer saying the impending birth of his first baby could influence his decision.
The former world No.2 has been committed to supporting Australian golf and this year played four tournaments in five weeks, culminating in his failed quest for a maiden Open crown.
The 2022 British Open champion was right in the hunt before a calamitous back nine on Friday derailed his campaign and he finished mid-field.
Smith played the Queensland PGA, headed to country NSW for that Open before the Australian PGA in Brisbane and then this week's Australian Open at Melbourne's Kingston Heath.
He finished runner-up at both the NSW Open at Murray Downs and the PGA.
Smith said he hoped to return in 2025 for at least two tournaments but with his first baby with wife Shanel arriving in March, he wasn't guaranteed.
"I would love to, I think I've got to take that as it comes as everyone knows now we're expecting," Smith said on Sunday, when he still drew a huge gallery despite his lowly finish. "I think that's going to have a big thing to do with it, which was really part of the reason why I wanted to do it this year. "But we finish again in the middle of August, so there's no reason that I can't play at least one or two more again - I've loved doing it.
"So whether it's the same two or a different two, I don't really know."
Smith slumped from one shot behind to eight off the pace in an extraordinary collapse on Friday, racking up three bogeys and a double-bogey six on the 16th hole after also suffering a penalty for an unplayable lie after his errant drive.
He said that title-ending back nine was tough to take.
"That back nine on Friday really just kind of hurt and it was kind of hard to get over.
"I was frustrated and angry that whole night, got a terrible sleep, up all night thinking about it, and it was just hard to get back into the rhythm of things.
"I feel like I did a lot right, particularly in the three weeks before this and when you have the nine holes like that, when it kind of comes out of the blue like it did, it's just really frustrating."
Pre-tournament Smith was critical of the condition of Kingston Heath and Victoria, saying they had been prepared too soft rather than hard and fast, which is what the sandbelt courses were famous for.
Smith was asked if the course was set up to cater for the varying skills in the women's field and all abilities players rather than the maximising the talent of the elite men.
The Open has been played as a dual gender tournament for the past three years.
"I've asked that question (of tournament organisers) and yet to hear back - it's a question that I've asked consecutively, about course set up, and we've had some conversations with it and, and it was the same again this year.
"I'm not sure of the reason but I've asked plenty of questions and haven't got an answer back."
