Smith is having a rare European tour outing at the event which attracts as many showbiz and sports stars as it does golfing luminaries and he'll doubtless hope to rekindle the magic at the venue where he famously won the 150th Open three years ago.
In the event which also takes in two other grand links courses, Smith's return to the Old Course will have to wait until Saturday -- but the 32-year-old Queenslander will be struggling to contend after a poor start on Thursday amid a day of low-scoring as he recorded a level-par 72 at another storied Open venue, Carnoustie.
With 10 Australians in the field, the focus instead fell on former amateur star Harrison Crowe, whose flawless seven-under 65 at the other course at Kingsbarns featured five birdies and an eagle.
Such was the avalanche of birdies on the three links, though, the 23-year-old Crowe was still only in a logjam of 18 players tied for seventh, with American Ryan Brehm, Englishman Matthew Jordan and Dutchman Darius van Driel all leading the way with nine-under 63s.
It's been another difficult on-course year for 32-year-old Smith, who's really taken a back seat on the global stage ever since he won the Claret Jug and then decamped to LIV Golf, where he's made millions of dollars but few waves.
The Queenslander, who hasn't won a tournament for over two years since LIV Golf Bedminster, missed the cut in all four majors this year, and could only finish 18th in LIV Golf's individual standings, comfortably eclipsed by Australian teammates Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert.
But on a happier note, he also became a father in 2025, helping him to get his life and golf into perspective. As he told Australian Golf Digest last month: "Really, all I want now is to have a happy, healthy son rather than making as many birdies as I can on the golf course."
In a group alongside returning European Ryder Cup hero Matt Fitzpatrick, who shot five-under while playing with his dad, Smith was three under with two to play, only to be sunk by a bogey-double bogey finish.
One Australian enjoying better fortune was Elvis Smylie, who shot a four-under 68 at St Andrews, while being partnered by former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.
Other celebrities in action this year include ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, film stars Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones and Bill Murray, and tennis great Andy Murray, the double Wimbledon champ who showed he still knows how to perform on the grass.
As well as Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton (66), Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Robert MacIntyre (66) were all riding high at Carnoustie despite still having a bit of a hangover after their Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage Black.
Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson, partnering his father-in-law, 'The Great One' Gretzky, shot a 64 at Carnoustie in his first appearance in the tournament for 13 years.
