On Tuesday this week, LIV Golf pro Travis Smyth got to play his practice round with Cameron Smith, but things improved on Wednesday. He played a nine-hole practice round with the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler. Despite limited playing time, it was enough for the Australian professional to get a glimpse of the World No. 1’s true character. Smyth detailed his experience after his opening round at the 2026 Open Championship.

“Yeah, yesterday was sweet, playing with Scottie for the first time. Watching the precision of his iron play was amazing. It was kind of demoralizing a little bit. It was like, damn, when I play good, I don’t think I have that in me. But it was good. It lights a fire in my stomach and makes me want to work hard. Now that I’ve seen what No. 1 in the world looks like, a little bit of a taste — it was only nine holes, but it was a great experience watching him play. He’s a lovely guy, really down to earth, which I’m happy about. He’s not like a d—-ead or anything. So it was good.”

Smyth had booked a practice round for Saturday or Sunday but didn’t learn his pairing until Tuesday—when Scheffler’s name appeared alongside Sam Burns and an amateur golfer.

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Smyth’s reaction echoes praise from other pros. Jordan Spieth has said that Scheffler “doesn’t care to be a superstar.” This shows how grounded he is despite being one of the best golfers at the current time.

Rory McIlroy has also noted something similar about the four-time major champion.

“He just goes about his business, doesn’t do anything overly flamboyant, but he’s the best at executing in the game right now,” the Northern Irishman said.

On the 15th green, Scheffler asked his son for a read, missed the putt, and smiled—a moment that captured his calm.

Scheffler’s calm nature meant he remained polite even as Smyth constantly engaged him during the round.

“Just thanks, enjoyed it, good luck this week. That’s pretty much it,” Smyth said when asked what Scheffler said after the round.

But besides that politeness, the 20-time PGA Tour winner’s excellence inspired Smyth. Scheffler’s iron game is the core of why he is considered a complete player. He is also known for shot versatility with his irons. Scheffler has said he likes his TaylorMade P7TW irons because they let him flight the ball lower or higher while keeping distance control.

Smyth earned the opportunity to play alongside the World No. 1 at the Open Championship thanks to a breakthrough 2025-2026 season. He won the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. This also got him the DP World Tour status for 2027.

Smyth last played The Open in 2023 at Royal Liverpool, his debut. This is his second appearance, but at a different venue: Royal Birkdale.

While he was confident, he didn’t look that comfortable ahead of the 154th edition of the event.

“I’ve never honestly played a tournament this baked out, so I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m excited for the challenge,” he said. “It’s a unique thing that we don’t get to play on very often.”

Despite that, his round wasn’t all that bad. He scored three bogeys and two birdies in the opening round. As a result, he finished with a one-over-par 71 and tied for 59th, with many players left to finish their rounds.