Golf: 'Not bad' suits Smail to a tee

If David Smail ever writes an autobiography the working title could be A Japanese Golfing Romance.

It sums up the majority of his working life. He met a crack golfer girl called Sheree Higgens in the pro-shop at the Hamilton club, built a friendship, caddied for her in Japan, married, had a family, played professionally in the Land of the Rising Sun for 13 years, made his fortune, won the NZ Open in 2001, bought what's described as a 13-acre "townie" farm in the Waikato and has become the highest ranked Kiwi golfer (75) in the world this year.

Yet Smail doesn't register as the sort of bloke who deals much in self-glory. In fact, any chance of the 39-year-old boasting about his achievements would be inversely proportional to the 609 million ($10.5 million) he is listed as having earned on the Japanese tour since 1997.

Smail will embark on the first of several nine-hole practice rounds at Turnberry in Scotland later today, in preparation for this week's Open championship, which starts on Thursday night (NZT).

He's expecting the course to play fair with a forgiving rough and layouts that aren't too undulating - and he's in a reasonable position to judge. It's the sixth time Smail's played the sole British major, on as many courses, with a best finish tied for 67th in 2005. It's his second major of the year after missing the cut at the US Open.

So in an age when "gaining profile" can substitute style over substance, how did Smail get to such an illustrious point in his career, and why do we know so little about it?

The answer is two-fold. The first reason is modesty. Sources contacted to glean more about Smail all recited similar turns of phrase: "He likes to stay under the radar," "you never hear from him, but he likes it like that", "a still tongue makes a wise head."

Perhaps it's best left to his wife Sheree to sum up how Team Smail operates: "Dave plays golf. I look after the kids and tell him where he's going to play next week."

However Robin Fulton, Waikato Golf's chief executive for almost 19 years, says Smail's natural reserve has never stopped him giving back.

"He's so supportive. If we want him to talk to kids or help us out at a clinic he's happy to give his time - and at no cost."

The second reason for the limited knowledge is the move to Japan. Smail went there originally to caddy for Sheree who made her mark on the women's tour between 1990 and 1996. Sheree, now 41, takes up the story.

"When I was 17, I worked at the Hamilton Golf Club pro shop so we were only babies when we first met. Then we were going out before I went over. He said: 'Take the opportunity because it's my one chance to get rid of you!' But I kept hanging in there. Then he came over too and liked it."

The male Smail turned professional in late 1992 and played on the Australasian Tour before following Sheree's lead into Japanese events. He eventually got his card and Sheree swapped to his bag before 10-year-old Charlie and 8-year-old Emily arrived. Smail has gone on to clock up five tour wins and be in the top 20 on the money list in the last eight years.

"The prize money's good enough to offset anything. Japan is not a cheap place but you learn the budget places to stay that are still all right and food spots where you can eat well, away from tourist areas," says Smail.

The expansion of Team Smail brought its own trials.

"Before school started, we'd go over as a family for most of the year. Travelling together was entertaining but hard work at times, lugging around portable cots and pushchairs. Nowadays it's a lot quieter. The kids make a couple of trips a year."

Even learning a language has failed to deter enthusiasm, although Smail says he's no natural linguist.

"I should be by now, but I've been a bit lazy over the years. It's because I'm not there for concentrated enough periods. I'll head over for three to four weeks and then come back for two to three between April and December. And you get a bit spoilt at the courses with translators and foreigners sticking together."

A luxury Smail did dispense with was a coach.

"I had one when I was younger. The former Hamilton club pro Brian Boys put me on the right track but I didn't have the finances to take a coach with me so I got into videoing myself to check things."

Boys says Smail was largely self-taught.

"I've known David since he was about 12 and he was always technically adept. He knows exactly how a golf swing should work, so a camera and his own knowledge have seen him right. He's a world-class striker of the ball from tee to green."

That's reflected in Smail being ranked number one the last three years for Japanese greens reached in regulation. But again he's quick to shrug off any compliments.

"I drive fairly straight and courses are shorter over there so if you get your iron shots going, you'll hit a few greens."

So onward to Turnberry. Last year, at Royal Birkdale, the extended family rented a house for the week but this year Sheree says Smail's going alone.

"We were planning a family holiday until Dave went and ruined it by qualifying just under a fortnight ago. That goes to show how much faith I had in him. But he'll now have fewer distractions even though we love supporting him.

"Maybe he's not Tiger Woods, but those freaks come along so rarely. We class him as our little freak anyway. We think he's not too bad."

Scratch that original book title. Not Too Bad sums things up nicely.