Cam Smith humbled by local support ahead of Australian PGA

World No.3 Cameron Smith will carry the baton of former Queensland stars when he returns to Australia as the reigning British Open champion at Royal Queensland this week.

Smith will tee up as the headline act of the $2 million Australian PGA Championship, starting as a firm $5 favourite with online bookmakers.

He will feel the glare of a nation after a stunning 12 months which saw him briefly ranked the best player in the world after he claimed the Open with a composure only champions possess.

It means anywhere he tees up in the world, and especially in his home country and home state, he will be expected to contend for the title.

The unassuming kid, with his now-trademark mullet flowing out from the back of his cap, admitted on Tuesday that his success had been a little overwhelming.

“Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t realise how much joy and emotion that trophy (Claret Jug) brings out of people,” he said.

“It’s insane. It’s like they’ve seen a ghost the first time they see it.

“It’s awesome to have it and I don’t want to give it back. I want to keep hanging onto it.”

Smith was presented with the keys to the city of Brisbane on Tuesday, and he was surprised to learn he was the first golfer to be granted the honour.

“I didn’t realise it was only 52 (people who had been given the keys to the city),” he said.

“That’s pretty crazy.

“One of the boys mentioned that I’m the first golfer to get the keys as well, so that’s pretty cool.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think I was ever going to get the keys to the city. I thought that was for important people, not golfers.”

READ: Hend hoping to make the most of Australian PGA Championship shot

This time last year Smith was on the move but outside the world’s top 25 players in the rankings.

Now he is No.3, behind Irishman Rory McIlroy.

“Yeah, I guess this year’s been incredible,” he said.

“Towards the end of last year, obviously not being able to come home, I had a lot of spare time, and it could have been one of those times where I just laid on the couch and not done anything.

“But made a really big effort to get in the gym and do all those little one-percenters that were going to make me a better golfer and to come out at the start of the year in Hawaii and do what I did there and it seems like the year got better and better.

“I wasn’t really expecting it, but I definitely put the work in and everything’s just kind of come together this year. It’s been unreal.”

Smith said coming close in a few majors had made the fire burn.

“It made me really hungry,” he said.

“I felt like I should have had one before this, but I’m happy this was the first one.

“It’s something that I’ll never forget.

“Obviously there are times when you come close in those things that you do start to doubt yourself a little bit, so to knock one off definitely boosts the confidence a little bit.

“I can’t wait for Major season to start back up again.

“I’m at a stage now where I just need to keep doing what I’m doing. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

“I’ve just got to keep doing it and keep doing it well.”

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