Kris Smith at Moore Park Golf driving range /
Pic: John Appleyard Source: The Daily Telegraph
Annette Sharp, The Daily Telegraph, reports
Life for Myer posterboy Kris Smith has been
pretty good since the Mancunian relocated to Australia from the UK.
Although the pretty-boy league player arrived on the arm of celebrity
songbird Dannii Minogue, Smith's career hasn't faltered since he and Minogue
split 12 months ago.
It is his Myer modelling work that sustains him professionally but Smith
has been working steadily in television (most recently hosting Foxtel's
Football Superstar series) and is training to become a personal trainer and
planning to open his own gym in his Melbourne home town.
Life is sweet for Smith who, between modelling shoots and casual
television appearances, is focused on being a hands-on father to his
two-year-old son with Minogue, Ethan.
He also plays golf as often as he can, flies to Sydney to hang out with
long-distance girlfriend Maddy King and works out daily to stay in buff form.
Yesterday Smith participated in a golf driving competition at Melbourne's
Albert Park alongside Harry Kewell, St Kilda star Sam Fisher and World Long
Driving champion Joe Miller. And as the XHot, as it's called, is sponsored by
Redbull and Smith's new golf sponsor Calloway (see if you can spot a logo ...
), a typically big party followed - not that the disciplined Smith let his hair
down and enjoyed an alcoholic beverage.
He was on his 22nd day of booze-free FebFast and a tall glass of
alcoholic cider, one of his preferred drinks, had to wait.
Confidential joined Smith in Sydney this
week as he worked on his golf swing in preparation.
A typical day in the model's life starts at 6am with a low-carb
breakfast - today it's scrambled eggs with chorizo sausage. He consumes this
while watching WGC Matchplay golf from Arizona on Foxtel. "Often I start
the day with a protein shake," says the lean-as-Kate-Moss mannequin,
"but I woke up in a Sydney hotel today so I treated myself to something a
bit special and I love watching sport on television," explains the sports nut
who took up golf three years ago and is now off a handicap of nine. By 7am he's
on the move, to the first of two golf driving ranges in Sydney he's visiting
today. There he swings away at his monster 230m-plus drive for an hour. Golf,
he admits, has become something of an obsession. He plays regularly in
Melbourne with some golf pros who have clearly been offering him some rather
excellent advice.
His goal is not to play a major tournament but to whittle his handicap
down to scratch.
Smith presented son Ethan with a set of plastic golf clubs at Christmas
and beams with pride when talking about how his little bloke has already
"played" his first round of nine holes.
"Yeah, he walked the whole way around with me whacking his little
plastic ball," Smith says. "He loved it."By mid-morning Smith is
on the move to Edgecliff in Sydney's east to catch up with his agent at global
sports, fashion and business agency, IMG, David Melina.
Smith was introduced to IMG by his Myer modelling stablemate Lauren
Phillips, with whom he was once romantically linked.
At midday he is back behind the wheel of his rental car to catch up with
his countrymen, Burgess brothers Tom, George and Luke, South Sydney's hot
British league recruits at Coluzzi's cafe in Darlinghurst. "The plan was
to have lunch together but they'd already eaten by the time I got to the
cafe," he said, only slightly miffed that the siblings wait for no man at
mealtime.
Smith, who was once criticised in the media for putting on weight,
watches his diet closely these days. A modest chicken caesar salad is all he
will have until dinner. A soy latte is his only mid-meal snack today.
By 3pm he is headed to Moore Park Golf Club with one of the Burgess
twins. Tom is after some golf instruction and proves an attentive student. He
slams and slices away while Smith smashes ball after ball.
Next Smith heads to the gym for his daily daily. He focuses on two
muscle groups a day - today it is biceps and back. At last he's through the
day's "business" and off to Oxford St, Darlinghurst for a Japanese
dinner with girlfriend of six months, model Maddy King.
Only for a twilight Harbour stroll with King does he change out of his
golf gear. Bedtime is early. "I'll be in bed by 9."
