Smith wins Amatuer Open in close finish

Former milkman Craig Smith won the AIB Irish Amateur Open by a shot from Co Sligo’s Sean McTernan at Carton House.

The 6’8” giant from Wales blasted a course record equalling 68 over the Montgomerie Course in the third round to get within a shot of leader Kevin Moore on two over par.

He then played steady golf in the afternoon to card a one under par 71 and set the clubhouse target of one over par.

McTernan needed to birdie the par-five 18th to force a play-off but his right to left breaking 20-foot putt burned the edge of the hole on the low side and he had to settle for a closing 70 and second place.

It was Smith’s first Major amateur win in Europe and sets him up to make the Great Britain and Ireland team to play Continental Europe in the St Andrews Trophy in August.

But he revealed that if he hadn’t received a special grant from the Welsh sports council to allow him to play full time golf he would still be doing his milk round.

He said: “I was working as a milkman and helping my father in his newsagents because he was recovering from a heart operation.

“I did my milk round for two hours from 3 am until 5 am and then got back to help Dad the papers until 9 am. and then go off and practice.”

Smith put himself in position to win thanks to a superb four under par course record equalling 68 in the third round.

Six over par and tied for 17th place at halfway, he fired seven birdies and three bogeys to move within a shot of overnight leader Moore after 54 holes.

The Isle of Man player carded a two over par 74 to lead by one from Smith with a round to go on one over par with McTernan alone in third on four over par after a third round 72.

As Moore got off to a shaky start to fall four shots behind after six holes, Smith picked up a shot on the front nine and then parred the last ten holes to set the clubhouse target of one over par.

McTernan still had four holes to play and was one under for his round and just two behind when Smith posted his clubhouse score.

He birided the 15th to get to within one of Smith but watched in agony as his birdie putt at the last grazed the hole and slid by.

Austria’s Florian Praegant hit a two under par 70 to finish alone in third on four over par as overnight leader Moore limped home with a closing 76 to finish on five over par in fourth place.

Final scores:

289 C Smith (Wales) 77 73 68 71

290 S McTernan (Co Sligo) 76 72 72 70

292 F Praegant (Austria) 77 73 72 70

293 K Moore (Isle of Man) 73 70 74 76

294 J Cunliffe (South Africa) 79 71 72 72, R Kakko (Finland) 71 78 73 72

295 K Bornemann (Douglas) 75 77 70 73, A McCormick (Scrabo) 74 75 72 74

297 G Wright (Wales) 78 73 74 72, M Moser (Austria) 76 76 72 73, B Wiesberger (Austria) 74 77 73 73

298 B McElhinney (North West) 77 75 76 70, D Ryan (Grange) 77 75 72 74, M Korhonen (Finland) 77 72 73 76, J Evans (England) 75 74 74 75, B McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 75 73 74 76, R Svoboda (Czech Republic) 74 74 73 77

300 A McKinley (Shandon Park) 82 70 76 72, M Shanahan (West Waterford) 77 73 78 72, D Horsey (England) 72 78 75 75

301 M McGeady (North West) 77 72 73 79, H Diamond (Holywood) 74 77 77 73, N Grant (Clandeboye) 74 75 78 74, K Crowley (Lee Valley) 73 75 78 75

302 D Crowe (Dunmurry) 78 74 75 75, M Brett (Portmarnock) 75 74 79 74, B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 74 73 79 76

303 C McAleavey (Banbridge) 76 74 76 77, D Morgan (Mullingar) 75 77 76 75, D O'Brien (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 77 74 78, J Ferguson (England) 73 75 81 74

304 A Smith (Wales) 77 75 75 77, S Sansbury (England) 76 72 74 82, H Mantyla (Finland) 73 77 79 75, R Boal (Scrabo) 73 72 80 79

306 T Ortner (Austria) 75 77 78 76, T Blankvoort (Netherlands) 73 78 77 78

307 D Moran (The Island) 76 72 80 79, K McGarry (Bandon) 72 77 82 76

308 P Purdy (Shandon Park) 76 76 81 75, G Bowden (Hermitage) 76 76 79 77

310 E O'Sullivan (The Island) 79 73 78 80, N Goulding (Portmarnock) 76 76 77 81

311 M Clark (Scotland) 68 81 87 75