Cameron Smith bounces back from food poisoning to stake Masters claim

Cameron Smith, a Major winner, expressed his satisfaction in feeling a slight boost of energy after finishing his initial practice round at the Masters on Tuesday, following a bout of food poisoning.

His playing partner on Tuesday, fellow Australian Min Woo Lee, disclosed that he will begin the first major of the year with a broken finger.

Smith, the British Open champion in 2022, had to pull out of LIV Golf Miami on Friday due to illness.

"I spent the weekend in bed, which wasn't ideal preparation. Today is probably the first day where I feel like I've got a little bit of energy," Smith told reporters.

"I'm sure I'll be pretty tired tonight. At least I could get around and feel okay."

Despite his health challenges, the former world number two managed to see the lighter side of things, joking about slipping on rocks near Rae's Creek at Augusta and ending up flat on his back.

"A bit of comedy for the crowd there," he chuckled.

Smith has achieved four top-10 finishes in his seven Masters appearances, including a tie for second in 2020 when Dustin Johnson emerged victorious.

Smith expressed hope that he would be back to full health by Thursday to begin his 2024 campaign. He is scheduled to tee off at 10:54 am alongside current US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Norway's world number six Viktor Hovland.

"Here, more than most places, if you get behind the eight-ball, you're pretty screwed pretty early," Smith remarked.

Lee, on the other hand, revealed that he had broken his right ring finger when he accidentally dropped a 20-pound dumbbell on it 10 days ago. Despite also catching the flu, a remarkably swift recovery will enable him to compete as he pursues his first major victory.

"I guess it wasn't the best preparation," said Lee, whose sister Minjee, a player on the LPGA Tour, has won two majors. "And I got the flu two days ago. Yeah, it's going great."

Lee commented on the remarkable speed of his recovery, expressing his astonishment. Despite being bruised and swollen, the pain was surprisingly minimal, which was quite unusual.

Even during the previous week, Lee made an effort to go to the gym as frequently as possible, although he refrained from performing a particular exercise. Whenever he glanced at the 20-pound dumbbell, he couldn't help but give it an intense glare.

Lee's Masters journey will commence at 10:06 am, where he will be participating in a three-ball alongside Americans Rickie Fowler and Patrick Cantlay.