Cameron Smith deflated but not defeated after first round struggles, scorecard, leaderboard

Cameron Smith’s scorecard suggested his day had been a mixed bag, including a penalty after taking an unplayable lie on the 18th hole, as he signed for an one-over 71 to begin his Australian Open campaign.

But the world No.3 had a far more brutal assessment declaring it was “pretty shitty” before heading straight to the driving range to prepare for a 7am tee time in the second round where he’ll go birdie-hunting at Kingston Heath.

Huge galleries surrounded the first tee and lined the fairway for Smith’s noon tee-time as fans flocked to the big-ticket item at Melbourne’s first major tournament since 2019.

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He was chasing the seven-under posted by local David Micheluzzi after a morning birdie blitz whet the appetite for the same from the British Open champion.

But an opening hole…