Smyth takes charge

Bryce Alderton

Today marks St. Patrick’s Day, but the celebration for Irishman Des

Smyth started four days earlier.

Smyth enters the Toshiba Senior Classic, which begins Friday at

Newport Beach Country Club, fresh off a one-stroke, come-from-behind

victory over both Mark McNulty and D.A. Weibring at the SBC Classic

at Valencia Country Club Sunday.

Smyth, 52, overcame a six-stroke deficit to finish 5-under-par

211, good for his first Champions Tour victory.

Wednesday afternoon found Smyth, an eight-time winner in 29 years

on the European PGA Tour, honing his irons on the range, fresh off a

7:15 a.m. tee time in the Classic Pro-Am.

Even though his 54-hole total (211) is the most for a Champions

Tour winner through five events this season, Smyth will gladly take

the victory.

“It’s easy to handle a win,” Smyth, in his third season on the

Champions Tour, said. “It’s what we practice for and it’s difficult

to do, so I’m pleased.”

Smyth earned $232,500 for his victory Sunday, bringing his yearly

total to $284, 500 through three events, good for fourth on the

tour’s money list. In 27 events last year, Smyth earned $536,904,

which included four top 10 finishes.

Securing and maintaining a spot on the Champions Tour was equally

an accomplishment for Smyth.

“It’s very difficult to get on the tour and even harder to stay on

it,” Smyth said. “For foreign players you have to deliver.”

Smyth, pronounced “Smith,” survived heated competition at the

Champions Tour’s National Qualifying Tournament at World Woods Golf

Club in Brooksville, Fla., in 2002.

He made an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole to overtake

Japan’s Seiji Ebihara for top honors (13-under 275) in the 72-hole

event.

Smyth, who started playing golf at age 6, then advanced to the

finals after earning medalist honors at the regionals in St.

Augustine, Fla. He shot an 11-under 277 for 72 holes, six strokes

better than Bill Thorpe and Doug Johnson.

Smyth hopes to start a trend of similar success in Southern

California, though Newport Beach Country Club presents a challenge.

“The course suited me better last week,” Smyth said of Valencia

Country Club. “The rough was so difficult. I avoided trouble the last

18 holes. I think I missed one fairway and my wedge play was very

good.”

Smyth believes similar ingredients should result in success this

week, though he has yet to find it in two prior trips here.

“I haven’t scored well on this course,” he said. “I like the

course, but I can’t explain why.”

Smyth, a member of two European Ryder Cup teams who has made eight

hole-in-ones during competition, tied for 43rd and 55th in his prior

two Toshiba appearances. His lowest round at Newport Beach Country

Club is 69, which he shot once in 2003 and again last year.

“It’s a tight driving course, so you’ve got to hit the fairways,”

said Smyth, whose previous best finish on the Champions Tour was a

tie for second at the 2003 ACE Group Classic. “And there are

difficult par-3s. Seventeen can give you problems. It’s a good par-3

to keep your mind occupied.”

If the wind kicks up like it did Monday, Smyth said scores will

likely soar this week on what he called “an extremely fair course.”

For Smyth, it comes back to the greens.

“To play well you have to putt well,” he said.

Smyth has occupied the top 10 in two of his first three starts

this year. He finished tied for eighth (8-under 208) in the ACE Group

Classic Feb. 20 before tying for 38th at the abbreviated Outback

Steakhouse Pro-Am the following week.

“It’s a perfect start,” he said.