The 2022 British Open champ's win drought has gone on for well over two years now since he took victory in the LIV Bedminster event in the US in August 2023, but there have been encouraging signs under his new swing coach Claude Harmon III that he's recovering his old mojo.
At the recent PGA in Aronimink, he finished tied for seventh, ending six missed cuts in a row at majors, and on Friday, he's now found himself in joint-third place at halfway at LIV's Spanish event, just three adrift of leader Tyrrell Hatton.
He's tied alongside defending champ Talor Gooch, Sergio Garcia and Scott Vincent, a shot behind second-placed Thomas Detry, and admitted his game is feeling refreshed under his new US coach.
"It's feeling nice," Smith reported after shooting a one-under 70 in his second round, compiling four birdies in a row between the eighth and 11th holes to make serious amends for three earlier bogeys and to briefly hold the lead.
Asked about what parts of his game were now giving him fresh confidence, he smiled: "All of it, really. I feel like because I'm hitting it a little bit better, I can be a little bit more aggressive with the putter.
"They haven't quite started dropping yet, but I've hit plenty of good putts, and it feels like I'm back to my old self, I guess, and being aggressive."
As for the feeling of contending again, he added: "It's like learning again. It's been so long since I've been in contention. I understand it's not all going to happen at once.
"Just got to keep putting myself there, giving myself opportunities, and one day it'll come. Trying to play patient but trying to play really aggressive golf."
Hatton, in his first tournament since becoming a father, carded a second-round 69 to move to six-under. He's two clear of Detry heading into the weekend at Real Club Valderrama.
Smith's Ripper GC teammate Lucas Herbert holed-in-one at the 213-yard 15th hole — the first ace in LIV Golf's four visits to Valderrama.
It was the 17th hole-in-one in league history and the second longest in LIV annals, trailing only John Catlin's 220-yarder at the UK event in 2024.
It helped Herbert to a round of 69 to leave him tied-12th at one-under, while Marc Leishman was tied-19th at one-over after his 70 and Elvis Smylie joint-26th on two over after a 70.
