Here's why Cameron Smith has a mullet for a haircut at the 2022 The Players Championship
PGA Tour Suggested Links

Here’s why Cameron Smith has a mullet for a haircut at the 2022 The Players Championship

A photo of golfer Cam Smith LAHAINA, HAWAII - JANUARY 09: Cameron Smith of Australia waves after making his putt to win during the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 09, 2022 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)


Cameron Smith has become one of the best players in the world while being one of the most recognizable players on the PGA Tour, largely thanks to the mullet he has been sporting while playing golf.

A mullet is a pretty distinctive look anywhere, much less on a golf course among clean-cut pro golfers. So why does Cameron Smith wear a mullet for his haircut?

Why Cam Smith has a mullet at the 2022 The Players Championship

Cam Smith started wearing a mullet back in 2021, just in time for the year-delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Smith was one of the Australian players who represented his country in the men's golf competition. He had "AUS," the abbreivation for Australia in the Olympics, shaved into the side of his mullet so he look extra enthusiastic about being in the Games.

“I mean, it's the Olympics. It doesn't happen too often,” Smith said ahead of the Olympics. “I thought I would give Australia a shoutout on the side of the melon. I thought about it for a few weeks beforehand and then I just said, 'Stuff it, I'm going to do it,' and I think it's been received pretty good.”

LISTEN TO GOLF NEWS NET RADIO 24/7
FOLLOW GOLF NEWS NET RADIO: iHEART | TUNEIN

However, Smith had been wearing a mullet for longer than the Olympics. In fact, when he teamed up with fellow Aussie Marc Leishman to win the 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Leishman showed up on the first tee with a blonde wig to make light of Smith's mullet. As a duo, Smith and Leishman’s walk-up song for the first tee each day was “The Mullet Song” by Jay Powell.

In fact, Smith started 2021 with a mullet. He explained why he did that when he defended his title at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.

"It just come around, I saw a few of the rugby league boys at home doing it," Smith said.

"It was a great time to do it during quarantine, just something fun. Make people have a laugh about it. I've just kind of kept it going. I've almost turned it into my good luck charm. It not bad. I think it needs a little bit of a trim at the front. I'd really like to go full business at the front and party at the back. But maybe within the next couple months, it might change up a little bit."

Smith had promised to his girlfriend, Jordan Ontiveros, that he would get rid of the mullet if he won on the PGA Tour with it. But he hasn't yet, despite the two wins since.

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

Ryan talks about golf on various social platforms:

X or Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanballengee
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanballengeegolf
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanballengee
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanballengeegolf

Ballengee can be reached by email at ryan[at]thegolfnewsnet.com

Ryan occasionally links to merchants of his choosing, and GNN may earn a commission from sales generated by those links. See more in GNN's affiliate disclosure.