Travis Smyth and Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau during Round 1 of LIV Golf Korea. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/LIV Golf) SOTOGRANDE, Spain – Reserve player Travis Smyth stepped in last week in Korea for the injured Paul Casey of Crushers GC, helping his new teammates secure a team victory. Now he's aiming for more.
Travis Smyth was in Sydney when his phone rang. It was Sunday, he had a hangover, and the last thing on his mind was a trip to Busan. “I thought I had three weeks off, and I’ve traveled a lot, played a lot,” Smyth said. “I was just home having a few drinks with friends. I only meant to do it Friday night, but then I did it again Saturday night. So I was feeling pretty average on Sunday.” The call that came that morning would change everything. With Paul Casey forced to withdraw from the Crushers GC lineup due to a wrist injury, Smyth was asked to step in as a reserve. He immediately agreed but couldn't get a flight until Tuesday, and by Wednesday afternoon, he was told he was on the team and would be playing. Four days later, he walked off the Asiad Country Club having secured a T8 on the individual leaderboard and helped Crushers GC to their second consecutive team title in Korea.
“It’s one of the most life-changing weeks I’ve ever had,” he said. What made the performance even more remarkable were the circumstances. Smyth arrived in Busan having played only nine practice holes – in the rain, under conditions that bore no resemblance to what the week would actually bring. His first round was shaky. But he stabilized, and as the Crushers found themselves in genuine title contention, something shifted.
