JACKSONVILLE: There will be some notable absences at The Players Championship this week but none more than defending champion Cameron Smith, who is ineligible for the PGA Tour’s flagship event after he joined the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit last year. World number five Smith is the first player to miss a title defence at TPC Sawgrass for non-injury reasons and his absence was a common theme ahead of Thursday’s opening round in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. “To answer your question directly, yes, it’s awkward,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told reporters on Tuesday when asked about Smith not being part of the 144-player field. “But you know, ultimately that’s a decision he made, and we’ve got an unbelievable field here this week and a history and tradition that one of these 144 is going to go seek to get.” Like all golfers who joined LIV Golf, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Smith has been banned indefinitely from participating in any PGA Tour events.