Bromance between Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman leads to Zurich Classic title

Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman began the week poking fun at Smith’s mullet. They ended it as Zurich Classic of New Orleans champions.

Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, long-time friends and competitors on the PGA Tour, had a secret weapon this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. No, it wasn’t Smith’s brilliant short game or Leishman’s superb ball-striking. It was a fake mullet bought for $18 off Amazon.

The 27-year-old Smith had the look of a young, respectable man when he won his first two events on the PGA Tour, including at this event in 2017. But starting in January, he debuted a dirty mullet, his golden-brown hair running down to his shoulders.

When he partnered with Leishman this week, his fellow Aussie decided to have some fun with it. Their walk-up song during their first-tee introductions was The Mullet Song, a tune by a singer named Jay Powell that Leishman found on Google. Leishman gave Smith a trim at the house they and their caddies shared. And, on Saturday, Leishman brought out the fake, black wig onto TPC Louisiana.

They shot 63 in the third round, tying the low score of the day, and held the lead on the back-nine during Sunday’s final round. After losing it to the South African team of Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen with a bogey on the 15th, Smith drove his ball into the water hazard on the reachable par-four 16th. Leishman then chipped in for birdie, and when Oosthuizen and Schwartzel missed their birdie putt, they were back tied.

The two teams finished atop the leaderboard at 20-under, forcing a sudden-death playoff beginning on the 18th. The competition portion of the extra holes, though, was short-lived: Oosthuizen hit his tee shot into the water, allowing Smith and Leishman to win with a simple par.

Smith and Leishman share a bond that goes back several years and transcends their common Australian background. They play practice rounds together often. They teamed up to finish runner-up at the World Cup of Golf in 2018. They were teammates at the Presidents Cup in 2019 in their homeland. Despite their 10-year age difference, they like to have fun together and, a factor that played a big role in their win on Sunday, learn from each other’s games.

“I think Leish and I play a lot of practice rounds together, one because we’re good mates, but we play a very similar game, I think,” Smith said at their post-victory press conference. “The way that we think around the golf course is very similar.”

It’s Smith who has one of the best short games on tour, ranking 11th this season in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. But it was Leishman who holed the chip on 16, and it came from all the hours watching his playing partner. “I watch Cam’s short game and wedges a lot,” he said. “I love watching him hit any shot inside of 120, 130 yards. Love the way he goes about it. I’ve tried to improve my wedge game from watching him and I feel like if you can learn from your friends, which I think I have, I think I’ve gotten better with my wedges.”

Their win will be a popular one back home. Sunday happens to be Anzac Day in Australia, a moment of remembrance for the sacrifice paid by Australian soldiers in war. The two of them will likely represent their home country in the Olympics this summer and will proudly don the green and gold Aussie colors as they chase a medal.

For now, they’ll have to settle with the belts they were both given and the trophy that they’ll have to share. They’ll also celebrate with some Leishman Lager, a beer that Leishman produces in Virginia. Then Leishman will fly home to his family; his son Harvey finished second in a junior golf event today.

Smith and Leishman will go their separate ways on a tour that’s usually all about the individual, but for one week, they got to put their friendship to some good use.