Golf: Second on the trot for cool Smail

SYDNEY - Hamilton golfer David Smail followed in the year-old footsteps of his New Zealand compatriot Michael Campbell when he held his nerve and defied a back strain to win the $A550,000 ($696,200) Canon Challenge in Sydney yesterday.

Seven days after recording his first professional tournament win, at the New Zealand Open, Smail displayed a temperament of steel at the Castle Hill Country Club to shoot a 67 and claim victory on 19 under, one shot clear of American David Gossett.

Smail repeated the effort, almost exactly a year earlier, of Campbell, who won the New Zealand title and followed it up a week later with victory in the Heineken Classic in Perth.

In a fitting touch, Smail became only the second non-Australian to win the tournament. The first was Campbell, in 1993.

"It's unbelievable, just amazing," Smail said. "My first win last week was a dream come true and now this is something else.

"Last week I didn't have any nerves at all, but today from about the 15th I was shaking over a few putts, but still trying to look cool and calm."

The 30-year-old struggled to put his finger on what was behind the turnaround in form. Remarkably, it has come while he has been combating a back strain which he suffered before the last round in Auckland and stayed with him in Sydney.

"I honestly don't know. I've been putting really well and that's brought the confidence up. It has made everything else easy, I can get away with missing the odd green here and odd fairway there, and still keep myself in it." he said.

Unlike last week at The Grange in Auckland, when Smail defended a lead throughout the day, his victory came after a tumultuous day at the top of the leaderboard. At one point he was one of five players tied for the lead on 16 under.

The Japan-based Smail began the round in a tie for second and hit the lead early on 17 under after his third consecutive birdie, on the seventh hole. His putting touch deserted him and he dropped shots on the 10th and 11th.

Victory seemed a distant possibility as others made their move and Smail could only scramble pars on holes 12 to 14 after finding the sand twice.

"I played the front nine very well, but I found the rough on the 10th tee and suddenly I didn't feel so confident. I was struggling with my grip, actually," he said. "It started getting pretty strong and I was fighting a hook a bit."

However, his winning burst came with birdies on holes 15, 16 and 17, all courtesy of fine approach play.

A 98m wedge shot out of the rough on the par-five 15th brought the confidence back.

His main rival through the latter part of the round, playing partner Gossett, hit the lead on the 15th hole with a birdie.

But the former United States amateur champion buckled with three-putt bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes, to give Smail a two-shot advantage going into the par-five 18th.

Gossett birdied the hole, but Smail was steady and after tapping in for par he raised both arms in the air in the understated way that has marked his personality over the past two weeks.

Unheralded South Australian Justin Cooper shot a 66 to share third place with overnight leader Tod Power, of Queensland.

Sydney's Paul Gow struggled to retain his title, hitting the lead on 17 under at one stage before fading to fifth on 16 under.

He looked a good bet to win after carding an Australasian Tour record of 60 in the opening round, but was hauled in by the field after shooting 74 in the third round.

The next-best New Zealander yesterday, in a tie for 23rd place, was Richard Lee, who shot 68 to finish 10 under.

- NZPA