Cardiff giant Smith stages mighty finish to clinch Irish Open title

CRAIG SMITH, a 6 foot 7 inch tall, 23 year-old from Cardiff, became the third overseas winner of the AIB Irish Amateur Open Championship since the event was revived in 1995 by mounting a highly impressive rearguard action over the Montgomerie course at Carton House, Co Kildare.

Smith, a member of the Welsh team at the Home Internationals in Ballybunion last September, began the tournament on Friday with an undistinguished 77, improved to a 73 on Saturday before a course record equalling 68 yesterday morning, containing seven birdies, moved him to within a stroke of the halfway leader, Kevin Moore from the Isle of Man, with 18 holes to play.

He completed the tournament with a commendably steady 71 to close on one over par 289, just one ahead of County Sligo's Sean McTernan, who shot rounds of 72 and 70 yesterday. The Austrian Florian Praegant finished with identical scores to come home in third place on four over and he in turn was one better than Moore.