Golf: Smail's four-stroke victory caps golden week

New Zealand's David Smail chose one of the biggest stages to taste his first success on the Japanese Tour, winning the Japan Open in Yamaguchi yesterday.

Smail's four-stroke victory earned him 24 million yen ($397,000) and was reward for six years of consistent performances on the Tour without receiving a winner's cheque.

Coming on top of Phil Tataurangi's maiden US PGA Tour victory last weekend, at the Invensys Classic in Las Vegas, and Michael Campbell's effort in reaching the semifinals at the world matchplay championships in England, it capped a remarkable week for New Zealand golf.

The Japan Open is one of the Tour's premier events and attracts most of its leading players.

Victory yesterday was bound to open more doors for the likeable Hamilton golfer, as well as ensure another season in Japan.

Within seconds of sinking the winning putt he was congratulated by his Taranaki caddie John Bennett and wife Sheree, who won once in Japan herself during her international playing career.

"We're one-all now, but I still want to beat her," Smail said. "It's a really great feeling and just an unbelievable calm.

"I've been wanting to win over here for the past few years. I've had a few chances and to do it here is fantastic."

Sharing the lead overnight with Kim Jong-Duck on six-under, Smail held his nerve after bogeys on the first and fourth holes had conceded the lead to the South Korean.

But while his rival started to stutter, Smail kept his cool and some smart work on the greens saw him pick up birdies on the third, fifth, sixth, 10th and 15th holes.

"Everything was perfect today," he said. "I putted really well and that saved me a few times. I made a few birdies when I hit some good shots."

Smail was in New Zealand last week where he took the opportunity to work on his game and it paid off for him yesterday.

"My ball-striking was much more solid," he said.

His 67 yesterday followed rounds of 71, 66 and 67 for a nine-under tally of 271. Jong-Duck finished five-under, with Japanese players Katsunori Kuwabara and Katsuya Nakagawa a further stroke back.

Smail's six seasons on the Japanese Tour have been marked by consistency.

He has had seven top-15 finishes this year, including two third placings in July - at the JGTO TPC and the Juken Sangyo Open.

Yesterday's win nearly doubles his season's earnings - to $828,000 - for ninth place on the money-winning list.

Leading the order of merit is four-tournament winner Japan's Toru Taniguchi with $2,050,000.

Smail, who won last year's New Zealand Open, is a confirmed starter for this summer's tournament at Middlemore in January.

He will play some other unspecified events on the Australasian Tour.

Smail's most prominent result last year came in the team's World Cup in Japan where he and Michael Campbell qualified for a four-way play-off.

- NZPA