Golf: Smail secures best result for 2012

David Smail. Photo / NZ Herald

New Zealand No 2 David Smail has secured his best result of the year after firing an even-par 72 in the final round of the Sun Chlorella Classic on the Japan Golf Tour overnight.

The former New Zealand Open Champion, who climbed eight places to a share of ninth place after a four-under par 68 in the third round, dropped two places in the final round to tied 11th to earn $52,000 (NZD).

Smail had rounds of 71, 70, 68 and 72 to finish on a seven-under par total, eight shots back from the champion Australian Brendan Jones who won by two shots.

The Hamilton professional made two birdies on six and 13 in the final round to get to two under and inside the top 10 but dropped shots on 14 and 17 to finish tied 11th.

It was a timely result for the Kiwi who climbed almost 20 places on the Japan Golf Tour money list from 83rd to 64th.

His previous best result for 2012 was a tie for 39th at Shishido Hills early in the season.

Closer to home, Wellington professional Nick Gillespie shot a one-under par 71 in the final round of the Tropical Golf Classic on the Tropo Tour in Australia to finish in a share of seventh place.

Gillespie, who won The Shirley Open on the Charles Tour last year, carded rounds of 69, 71, 71 and 71 at the Capricorn Resort in Yeppoon to finish on a six-under par total and earn $3800 (NZD).

The former Srixon Academy Member finished six shots back from Western Australian Rick Kulacz who won by three shots.

Auckland professional Ryan Fox continued his good form with a top-10 finish.

Fox, who has already won three times in his rookie season as a pro, carded rounds of 68, 74, 72 and 69 to claim a share of 10th and take home $2600.

Fellow Kiwis Hamish Robertson finished tied 32nd, Doug Holloway placed 38th, and Jared Pender 58th while Grant Moorhead missed the cut.

On the PGA Tour, New Zealand No 1 Danny Lee missed the cut at the Canadian Open.

The Korean-born-Kiwi had two rounds of 70 at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club and is projected to be 156th on the Fed Ex Cup Standings.

He will need some results in the coming weeks to qualify for week one of the playoffs at the Barclays.

Meanwhile, on the web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide Tour) Steve Alker had a three-under par 68 in round two of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Ohio but it wasn't enough as he missed the cut by one shot.

The Hamilton professional, who finished tied 19th at the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes last week, opened with a three-over par 74 and shot a 68 to finish on an even-par total.

Manawatu professional Tim Wilkinson carded rounds of 72 and 71 to finish on a one-over par total and miss the weekend in a share of 86th place at The OSU Golf Club.

Alker remains in 67th place on the web.com Tour standings while Wilkinson is the leading Kiwi in 46th place.

They need to finish inside the top 25 on the web.com Tour Order of Merit to automatically qualify for the PGA Tour in 2013.

In Europe, Mark Brown missed the cut for the third successive week on the Challenge Tour at the English Challenge.

The former European Tour pro carded rounds of 78 and 72 to finish on a six-over total and in a share of 119th place.