Fuente: © PGA (Professional Golfers' Association)
http://www.pga.info/

PGA: Smith Takes Tour Title

/noticias.info/ Mark Smith won the PGA Europro Tour's 2005 Oceanico Tour Championship in sensational style, with a final round 63 seeing him take victory by three shots.

Smith, who represents Erewash Valley and Matchroom Golf, produced a scintillating 29-shot back nine to come from the chasing pack to effectively seal his win with two holes remaining.

After being sat on -4 overnight - three shots behind leader Graham Fox - he had moved a further two strokes back after the first nine holes at Palmares on Portugal's Algarve.

He then hit three birdies in four holes from the tenth to move ahead of Fox and his co-leaders and out to -9.

Incredibly, he then saw his second shot at the par four 16th land directly in the hole from 182 yards for an eagle to pull three shots clear of the other contenders.

He also picked up a birdie at the 17th and made par at the final hole to seal the £20,000 first prize - making him the first player to top £50,000 in one season on the PGA Europro Tour.

"I'm absolutely delighted," said Smith. "The back nine is probably the best golf I've ever played and it's a great way to end the year.

"It has been a great week here in Portugal. The course stayed in great shape despite the rain we had and I'm so happy that I managed to come out on top.

"It was a big goal of mine to top the Order of Merit and I've done that now. I've had four great years on the PGA Europro Tour and hopefully I can have more success on the Challenge Tour next year and move onto the European Tour."

At the start of his surge earlier in the afternoon, Smith found himself sat behind a four-way tie for the lead, with Daniel Wardrop, Graham Rankin and Zane Scotland all joining Fox at -8.

Wardrop paid for a double bogey at the 12th, Fox dropped shots at 12 and 15 and Scotland slipped at both the 11th and 12th holes.

Rankin, who had been among the leaders throughout, managed to remain in the hunt, but dropped a shot himself with a bogey at 15.

Scotland recovered with birdies and 16 and 17 to move to -9, and was joined at that score by Daniel Gaunt, whose eagle at the 17th saw him share second place.

Fox ended alongside Wardrop at -7, with four players a further shot back.

A late push from Richard Johnson saw him finish on -6 with a 68 for the day, where he joined Gary Oliver, who fired in a final round 67, with Rankin and the ever-consistent Graeme Clark also ending on 207 for the event.

Smith, Gaunt, Simon Robinson, John Wade and Robert McGuirk all earn Category Nine cards for the 2006 Challenge Tour.

Smith, Graeme Clark, Andrew Willey and Michael Welch will play in the Mauritius Open at the Belle Mare Plage Hotel next week after earning an invitation through their performances this year.
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