In a somewhat of an early season blow for the DP World Tour, and super-talented young ‘Down Under’ star Elvis Smylie has signed with the all-Australian Ripper GC LIV Golf Leagure team.
LIV announced news in securing one of the country’s most exciting young talents as the team continues to champion Australian golf on the global stage.
It his very first event of the 2024/25 DP World Tour wrapaound season, Smylie captured the co-sanctioned BMW PGA Championship thus earning a virtual three-year DP World Tour exemption.
The now 23-year-old, and named after Elvis Presley, claimed victory on the host Royal Queensland course by denying fellow Aussie and overwheling home favourite in LIV Golf’s Cam Smith.
Proudly watching their son win was proud parents in former champion professional tennis players Liz and Peter Smylie.
Breaking News:
Potential ‘Down Under’ superstar @ElvisSmylie signs with @livgolf_league joining all- @rippergc_ side
“To join Ripper GC, led by my long-term mentor, Cam Smith … means a lot to me”, said Smylie
LIV
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/KbOt4AjdCA
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) January 14, 2026
Then in 2025 season proper, Smylie proceeded to post a second place result at the French Open on the way to finish 23rd on the Race to Dubai money list, falling shy of earning full 2026 PGA Tour membership.
He’s contested two events in season 2025/25 DPWT year, eachh in Australia and with a best of eighth in the Australian Open.
Though that now is of no concern to Smylie in joining the Ripper GC side of Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert, and this regard, it’s no surprise his name does not appear in the entry list for next week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Collectively, the foursome reflects Ripper GC’s identity as Australia’s only professional golf team, mixing major-championship pedigree, international experience, and next-generation talent, with Smylie’s arrival signalling a clear investment in the future of Australian golf.
“Growing up in Australia, you understand what golf means back home – the history, the mateship, and the pride that comes with representing your country,” Smylie said.
“To join Ripper GC, led by my long-term mentor, Cam Smith, at a time when Australian golf is growing the way it is means a lot to me. I’m proud to be part of something that embodies where the game has been, and where it’s going next.”
Smylie arrives as one of the fastest-ascending players in Australian golf, positioned firmly among the nation’s next generation of elite competitors.
A former recipient of the Cam Smith Scholarship for promising Australian golfers, the signing represents a full-circle moment for the Queensland native. Smylie, the son of former Australian tennis doubles star Liz Smylie, hails from an elite Australian sporting pedigree. Smylie enjoyed a defining stretch in late 2024, capturing his first professional victory at the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisement Western Australia Open, before backing it up one month later with the Australian PGA Championship win.
“Signing Elvis is a huge moment, not just for Ripper GC, but for Australian golf,” said Ripper GC Captain Cam Smith.
“He represents the next wave of Australian talent coming through at a time when the sport is absolutely booming back home. Elvis has already shown he can win under pressure, compete against world-class fields, and perform on big stages.”
Smylie’s signing comes at a historic moment for the game in Australia; More than four million Australians played golf in the past year, marking the strongest and most sustained period of growth in the sport in more than three decades.
Junior participation and club membership continue to surge nationwide, denoting a powerful pipeline of future talent and fans.
“Cam’s vision has always been to provide a pathway for young Australian golfers to excel on the global stage. Elvis represents the best of all of the young crop of players currently in Australia, and we believe that his playing ability gives us the best chance of success in 2026 as a team,” said Ripper GC General Manager Nick Adams.
“We are incredibly excited to have him as part of the group, and we look forward to helping him in his golf journey to become an elite player.”
Australian fans will first be able to see the new Ripper GC lineup in action at the supercharged LIV Golf Adelaide, Australia’s premier golf event that is redefining what it means to experience the sport. The standout tournament will return to The Grange Golf Club from February 12-15, 2026 for another unforgettable summer showcase where sport, culture and entertainment collide.
Smyle takes the place in the Ripper GC’s Matt Jones , who was relegated at the end of the 2025 season but then disapppointing for Matt, he fell short in last weekend’s LIV Promotions event in Florida in securing one of the top-3 spots that would have seen him rejoin his Ripper team-mates.
